We have received text from H.R. 8097: Home Team Act of 2026. This bill was received on 2026-03-26, and currently has 5 cosponsors.
Here is a short summary of the bill:
The Home Team Act of 2026 is a bill aimed at keeping professional sports teams in their local communities. It establishes regulations that prevent sports franchises from moving away without giving their existing community a fair chance to buy the team. Below are the key components of the legislation:
Findings
The bill begins with findings from Congress that highlight:
- Professional sports teams have a notable economic and cultural impact on their local communities.
- When a team relocates, it abandons the local community and fan base which contributed to its growth.
- Using public funds to help pay for relocation or new stadiums can negatively affect local taxpayers.
- Building new stadiums for relocated teams can displace local residents.
- Professional sports affect interstate commerce through broadcasting and travel by fans and teams.
Prohibition on Community Ownership Bans
One of the major provisions of the bill is to prohibit professional sports leagues from:
- Banning government entities or the general public from owning a franchise.
- Preventing the transfer of a franchise to a governmental entity or members of the general public.
Opportunity to Purchase
The legislation mandates that franchise owners cannot relocate or eliminate a franchise without offering a fair opportunity to sell the team, especially to certain priority groups:
- Local government entities or community cooperatives.
- Nonprofit organizations operating in the community or public-private partnerships involving those entities.
- Private individuals or companies located in the community.
The process to ensure fair opportunity includes:
- Providing proper notice regarding the potential relocation or sale of the franchise.
- Offering the franchise for sale at fair market value.
- Accepting offers from qualified local entities if they match or exceed the appraised fair price.
Appraisers
The Secretary of the Treasury will establish a team of professional appraisers to determine the fair price for any franchise offered for sale. This appraisal will deduct any government payments related to the construction of stadiums where the franchise primarily played.
Enforcement
The bill outlines enforcement mechanisms which include:
- A civil penalty of $30,000 per day for franchise owners violating these provisions.
- The opportunity for local or state governments to sue for violations to seek injunctive and monetary relief.
Miscellaneous Provisions
The bill clarifies that it does not interfere with the collective bargaining rights of employees or existing agreements made prior to the bill's enactment.
Definitions
The following definitions are provided to clarify terms in the bill:
- Community: The metropolitan area where the franchise plays the most games.
- Franchise: A professional sports team that is a member of a league.
- Franchise Owner: A person who owns a franchise.
Relevant Companies
- NFL - National Football League: As the bill directly impacts how owners can relocate teams, NFL teams would be required to comply with the provisions regarding community purchase opportunities.
- NBA - National Basketball Association: Similar to the NFL, NBA teams would need to consider these regulations during any considerations for relocation.
- MLB - Major League Baseball: MLB teams would also be affected, particularly in how they manage franchise sales and relocations.
- NHL - National Hockey League: NHL teams would be included under the bill's requirements for potential relocations or transfers to local entities.
Representative Greg Casar Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Greg Casar:
- H.R.8097: Home Team Act of 2026
- H.R.7955: To prohibit any person from placing, accepting, or facilitating the placement or acceptance of a wager regarding a specified event, and for other purposes.
- H.R.7728: Connect the Grid Act
- H.R.4992: FEMA Critical Staffing Act
- H.R.4640: Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act of 2025
You can track bills proposed by Representative Greg Casar on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Casar.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
