SENATE, No. 2805

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2015

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  RICHARD J. CODEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires coach of interscholastic sports team to provide athletic director with certification that no one associated with team was involved in player recruitment.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 

An Act concerning interscholastic sports programs and supplementing chapter 11 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.    a.   A school district or nonpublic school that participates in Statewide interscholastic sports programs sanctioned by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association shall annually require the coach of an interscholastic sports team, prior to the beginning of the team's athletic season, to provide the athletic director of the district or nonpublic school with written certification that neither the coach nor, to the best of his knowledge, any other individual associated with the team in an official or voluntary capacity was involved in athletic recruitment, as defined by the association.

     b.    In the event that a coach or any other individual associated with an interscholastic sports team is found to have violated the association's prohibition against athletic recruitment, the person, in addition to any penalties imposed by the association, shall be immediately suspended from participating with the team in any capacity for the team's athletic season for that school year and the subsequent school year. The suspension shall include any off-season practices or conditioning programs.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect on July 1 of the first full school year following the date of enactment.

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill provides that a school district or nonpublic school that participates in Statewide interscholastic sports programs sanctioned by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) will annually require the coach of an interscholastic sports team to provide the athletic director of the district or nonpublic school with written certification that neither he nor, to the best of his knowledge, any other individual associated with the team in an official or voluntary capacity was involved in athletic recruitment. The certification must be submitted prior to the beginning of the team's athletic season.

     Under the bill, in the event that a coach or other individual associated with the team is found to have violated the NJSIAA's prohibition against athletic recruitment, the person, in addition to any penalties imposed by the NJSIAA, will be immediately suspended from participating with the team in any capacity for the team's athletic season for that school year and the subsequent school year. The suspension includes any off-season practices or conditioning programs.