ASSEMBLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2957

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 16, 2021

      The Assembly Women and Children Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2957.

      As amended by the committee, this bill establishes the Youth Sports Task Force.  Under the bill, the task force will consist of 13 members including 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, who each have a background in, or special knowledge of, the legal, policy, educational, social, or psychological aspects of bullying.  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; a youth who was a victim of harassment, intimidation, or bullying while participating on a youth sports team; and three coaches representing various aspects of youth sports.

      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.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS;

      The committee amendments make various technical corrections involving grammar, syntax, and punctuation, as well as to reorganize certain provisions to put them in their proper order.