A U.S. House of Representatives resolution sponsored by Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Ill., and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., would make it illegal for the NCAA to impose restrictions on collegiate mascots and symbols. If passed, any institution of higher education who has had restrictions imposed upon them would be able to sue the NCAA for damages and legal fees.

The resolution was proposed in May, and Johnson hopes to have a congressional field hearing with the House Education Workforce Committee in Champaign before the end of the year.

“The whole idea is to preserve the institutions’ autonomy who are feeling the effects of these rules,” said Phil Bloomer, spokesman for Johnson, who is C-U’s representative. “It’s not really the place of the NCAA to issue these edicts.”

The debate to get rid of Chief Illiniwek as the University’s symbol goes as far back as the 1975 Illio yearbook. Illio is a publication of the Illini Media Company, parent company of The Daily Illini. Some students and staff expressed their views on the Chief as being distasteful and said his dance was like mocking a Catholic Mass, according to the Board of Trustees history of the debate.

The more recent debate started in 1989 when a resolution was passed by the Student Government Association that deemed the Chief’s halftime performances discriminatory. This led to the 1990 action by the Board of Trustees to declare that the Chief was a beloved symbol of the University with deep meaning for students past and present. In 1995 Chief Don Giles of the Peoria tribe of Oklahoma, the descendants of what is now known as the Illini tribes, said that the Chief as the University’s symbol was the greatest honor the University could pay to the tribe. However, in 2000 the tribe passed a resolution by a vote of 3-2 asking the University to stop the use of Chief Illiniwek.

The House resolution states that the attempts of institutions like the NCAA that try to “impose views of correct social policy” go against the traditions of American institutions of higher education.

“Whether it does or does not happen (getting rid of the Chief),” Bloomer said. “The University trustees should be the ones that make that decision.”

While this legislation could have a direct impact on the University, they did not have a part in its creation, said Tom Hardy, spokesperson for the University.

“The University doesn’t have a position on it; the University did not ask for this legislation,” Hardy said. “This legislation doesn’t specifically address any particular University. It’s directed towards the NCAA and its policies, but it could potentially impact the University of Illinois.”

After the Illinois House of Representatives resumes its sessions next week, Johnson hopes to establish a date for the field hearing. But for now, little is likely to impact the issues the Chief faces.

“The way it’s (the resolution) is written would make it easier to challenge what the NCAA has done,” Hardy said. “But on that we have to wait and see what develops because it’s very, very early in this (law-passing) process.”

Beth Gilomen contributed to this report.