A2957

An Act establishing a Youth Sports Task Force to examine various issues associated with youth sports.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established a Youth Sports Task Force for the purpose of examining, evaluating, and making recommendations regarding youth sports.

b. The task force shall consist of 13 members as follows:

(1) six members who each have a background in, or special knowledge of, the legal, policy, educational, social, or psychological aspects of bullying. These six members shall be appointed as follows: two appointed by the Senate President; two appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and two appointed by the Governor;

(2) four members of the public, to be appointed by the Governor, including: the parent or guardian of a student-athlete who participates in an interscholastic sports program; the parent or guardian of an athlete who participates in youth sports events as defined in section 1 of P.L.2002, c.74 (C.5:17-1); the parent or guardian of an athlete who participates in youth sports activities sponsored by a for-profit entity; and a youth who was a victim of harassment, intimidation, or bullying while participating in youth sports; and

(3) three coaches to be appointed by the Governor, including a coach of an interscholastic sports program, a coach of youth sports events, and a coach of youth sports activities sponsored by a for-profit entity.

c. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

d. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.

2. a. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

b. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work. The task force also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

3. a. It shall be the duty of the task force to study and consider issues in regard to youth sports including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) protection for parents, guardians, and athletes from unscrupulous business practices conducted by for-profit entities sponsoring youth sports activities;

(2) financial oversight to strengthen the business practices of youth sports team organizations, as defined in section 5 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.5), and for-profit entities that sponsor youth sports;

(3) training for coaches to recognize the signs and symptoms of harassment, intimidation, and bullying;

(4) ways to acknowledge and promote youth sports as an extension of the classroom;

(5) developing training workshops for parents and guardians to recognize the signs and symptoms of harassment, intimidation, bullying, and abusive coaching, and on proper spectator conduct; and

(6) protection for sports officials from abusive behavior while engaged in the performance of their duties.

b. The task force shall hold at least one public hearing during the course of its work in order to receive public input on the issues being studied by the task force.

4. The task force shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than one year after the task force organizes.

5. This act shall take effect immediately, and the task force shall expire 30 days after the issuance of its report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Youth Sports Task Force. Under the bill, the task force will consist of 13 members including six members who each have a background in, or special knowledge of, the legal, policy, educational, social, or psychological aspects of bullying. Of these six members, two will be appointed by the Senate President, two will be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and two will be appointed by the Governor. The task force will also consist of seven members of the public to be appointed by the Governor, including the parents or guardians of athletes participating on youth sports teams and a youth who was a victim of harassment, intimidation, or bullying while participating on a youth sports team.

The task force will study and consider issues of youth sports including, but not limited to:

· protection for parents, guardians, and athletes from unscrupulous business practices conducted by for-profit entities sponsoring youth sports activities;

· financial oversight to strengthen the business practices of youth sports team organizations and for-profit entities sponsoring youth sports activities;

· training for coaches to recognize the signs and symptoms of harassment, intimidation, and bullying;

· ways to acknowledge and promote youth sports as an extension of the classroom;

· developing training workshops for parents and guardians to recognize the signs and symptoms of harassment, intimidation, bullying, and abusive coaching, and on proper spectator conduct; and

· protection for sports officials from abusive behavior while engaged in the performance of their duties.

The bill directs the task force to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year after its organizational meeting. The task force will expire 30 days after the submission of its final report.