§433. Unlawful payments; penalties

            A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for any person to make or offer a monetary payment, or anything of value to an athlete or any other person where such offer does any one or both of the following:

            (1) Causes or is intended to cause the athlete to be penalized or to lose his eligibility to participate in sports sanctioned by the federation or association of which the school or institution is a member.

            (2) Causes or is intended to cause the educational institution or school which the athlete attended or was being recruited to participate in sports contests to be investigated or placed on probation, penalized, or otherwise sanctioned by the federation or association of which the school or institution is a member.

            B. The athlete and the educational institution or school shall each have an independent cause of action, specifically including but not limited to a cause of action for tortious interference with an athlete contract against such person for damages, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs.

            C. Any person found to be in violation of the provisions of this Section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both.

            Acts 1999, No. 302, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1094, §§1 and 2; Acts 2004, No. 351, §1; Acts 2026, No. 895, §1, eff. June 9, 2026.