Senator Sanders Introduces Bill to Give Cities and Fans First Right to Buy Sports Teams Before Relocation

The Home Team Act·Latest event March 26, 2026

Mar 26

Senator Sanders Introduces Bill to Give Cities and Fans First Right to Buy Sports Teams Before Relocation

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Home Team Act of 2026 to prevent professional sports teams from moving to new cities without giving local fans a chance to buy them. The bill requires team owners to offer their current city or a local group of fans the first right to buy the franchise before relocating or closing it. This measure aims to protect the bond between communities and their teams by removing league rules that prohibit public ownership. Under the proposal, owners must provide a one-year notice before any planned move. This gives local governments and fan groups time to organize a purchase and keep the team in its home city. This Senate legislation follows a similar House bill introduced by Representative Greg Casar to ensure sports franchises remain community assets.

S. 4272Sen. Sanders Introduces Bill to Stop Pro Sports Teams From Moving Without Giving Cities a Chance to Buy Them

Apr 9

Rep. Casar and Sen. Sanders Introduce Home Team Act to Give Fans and Cities First Right to Buy Sports Teams

The Home Team Act is currently awaiting action in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where it has been referred but not yet scheduled for a vote. As long as the bill remains in committee, sports owners can continue to use relocation threats to leverage public funding for stadiums without a legal requirement to offer cities a purchase option.

Mar 26

Rep. Casar Introduces Bill to Allow Fan and City Ownership of Professional Sports Teams

Representative Casar introduced H.R. 8097 to the House, seeking to allow fans and cities to purchase teams and prevent leagues from banning public ownership.

H.R. 8097Rep. Casar Introduces Home Team Act to Give Fans and Cities a Chance to Buy Sports Teams Before They Move

Mar 10

Bernie Sanders Backs Home Team Act to End Billionaire Stadium Subsidies

Senator Bernie Sanders publicly supported the legislative effort, arguing that billionaires should not receive corporate welfare for stadiums.

The American people are sick and tired of billionaires threatening to move the sports teams they own to different states unless they get hundreds of millions in corporate welfare to build new stadiums. The Home Team Act begins to address this problem. https://t.co/J5waAo3xIz

Mar 10

Lawmakers Unveil 'The Home Team Act' to Curb Sports Team Relocations and Public Subsidies

National media outlets reported on the new legislative strategy to address the issue of professional sports team relocation and public subsidies.

Proposed bill from Sen. Bernie Sanders targets pro sports team relocation. Here's how

The Facts

Key Statements

UUSA Today

“Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduce the Home Team Act, a federal bill aimed at preventing professional sports teams from relocating across state lines.”

This article confirms the introduction of the bill and its primary goal of preventing team relocation.

Policies

These are companion bills introduced by Representative Casar and Senator Sanders to coordinate the proposal in both chambers of Congress. Both the House and Senate versions are currently at the same stage of the legislative process.

Rep. Casar Introduces Home Team Act to Give Fans and Cities a Chance to Buy Sports Teams Before They Move

H.R. 8097

Sen. Sanders Introduces Bill to Stop Pro Sports Teams From Moving Without Giving Cities a Chance to Buy Them

S. 4272

News

Proposed bill from Sen. Bernie Sanders targets pro sports team relocation. Here's how

USA TodayCenter Left

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