(WAND) – A bill that would allow college athletes to be paid if their image or name is used has passed the Illinois State House.

The bill, HB3904, also called the Student Athlete Endorsement Act, was filed with bipartisan support on Sept. 30 by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch.

According to the bill, schools would not be allowed to revoke a scholarship if students are paid for their likeness, and the scholarship would not count as compensation. Athletes would also be allowed to hire agents.

Decatur City Councilman Rodney Walker, who played Division 1 basketball in college, says he supports the bill.

"I am surprised that it's moving this fast, but it's well overdue," Walker told WAND. "I think it's an exciting time for basketball. It's an exciting time for the players."

Walker says the supplemental income is much-needed by college athletes, and thinks it will give Illinois high school stars an incentive to stay in their home state.

"You already have that fan base, being a local kid or in the state," Walker said. "So when you get over to the university, it's not like you're reinventing the wheel."

His opinion is shared by Decatur natives and former Division 1 college athletes Michael Phillips and Shawn Overocker.

"It'll keep kids here locally," said Phillips, who played basketball at Wichita State. "I think it'll be a good thing for kids in state to stay at their home school just due to the fact they have that fan base here already... So their endorsements may be more, if they have a fan base behind them already."

"If somebody wants to pay you to come stand somwhere or shake hands or sign autographs... why shouldn't you be compensated with it?" said Overocker, who played football at Temple University.

However, the former stars acknowledge the legislation could have negative effects. Overocker said he's not a fan of introducing player agents for college athletes.

"I think it's another person putting their hands in pockets of athletes, so I'm kind of up in the air about that," Overrocker said.

Walker suspects the introduction of money could disrupt team cohesiveness.

"I just hope it don't get to... I-I-I and not we-we-we," he said. "And that's the great thing about college, it's the atmosphere, and playing from their heart and not for the dollar."

Phillips said the potential loss of an endorsement deal could be troublesome for collegiate student athletes.

"If you don't perform, that endorsement is taken away, so that's the negative part of it," he said.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith both have said they are in support of the bill.

"The names and likenesses of student athletes are being used by others to create massive profits and yet the students themselves see none of those profits," Pritzker said at his Monday morning conference. "That's simply not fair. Any other student who has a job on weekends to make money while they're in school gets to keep what they earn. So why shouldn't student athletes be afforded the same right?"

The bill will now go to the Senate. Walker says he expects the bill to pass.

"You can pretty much bank that it's gonna happen," he told WAND.

If the bill passes, it would take effect in 2023.