U.S. Sen. David Perdue, a Georgia Republican, is part of a new Senate working group looking into whether student athletes should be paid and other related issues.

The bipartisan study comittee, announced Thursday, was formed jointly by U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat. Other members are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, and Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey.

The group will meet with representatives from colleges and universities, athletes and experts. In a statement, Perdue credited the NCAA with beginning the conversation about athlete compensation and said it was important to bring all stakeholders to the table.

“Having spent a portion of my career working in the athletic industry, I know how important it is to preserve the collegiate sports experience while promoting equality for student athletes across all 50 states,” Senator Perdue said.

In September, California's governor defied the NCAA by signing into law a bill that would require collegiate athletes to be paid beginning in 2023.

A similar bill was filed in the Georgia General Assembly soon after.

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