Bill Text: NJ A4866 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain coaches to successfully complete youth football league training course; requires DOH to approve course.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-12-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4866 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4866-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman L. GRACE SPENCER
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain coaches to successfully complete youth football league training course; requires DOH to approve course.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning youth football league training and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Coach" means any paid or volunteer head or assistant coach of a team in a youth football league.
"Youth football league" means any interscholastic football program or league organized by or affiliated with a public or nonpublic school, a nonprofit youth serving organization as defined by section 1 of P.L.1999, c.432 (C.15A:3A-1), a county or municipal recreation department, or the governing body of a county or municipality.
2. a. Each board of education, governing board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school, governing body of a county or municipality, or governing body of a nonprofit youth serving organization shall adopt and implement, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Health in consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Community Affairs, policies and procedures requiring all coaches of youth football leagues to successfully complete every two years a youth football league training course approved by the Department of Health pursuant to subsection b. of this section. A coach of a public school district or nonpublic school interscholastic football team who successfully completes a head injury safety training program pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.2) shall not be required to complete the concussion awareness portion of the course, provided that the head injury safety training program is completed no more than one year prior to successful completion of the youth football league training course.
b. (1) The Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Community Affairs, shall approve a youth football league training course, which shall include, but need not be limited to, the following topics:
(a) concussion awareness;
(b) proper fit of protective equipment, including helmets and pads;
(c) heat emergency preparedness;
(d) sudden cardiac arrest awareness; and
(e) proper technique for blocking and tackling.
(2) A certificate of completion shall be awarded to a person who successfully completes the course.
(3) The Department of Health shall require the course to be updated as necessary to ensure that it reflects the most current information available on the topics required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section.
c. Any coach who fails to successfully complete the youth football league training course as required by this section shall be prohibited from serving as a coach in a youth football league.
d. The Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Community Affairs, and in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires youth football league coaches to successfully complete a youth football league training course approved by the Department of Health (DOH), in consultation with the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA).
Under the bill, each board of education, governing board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school, governing body of a county or municipality, and governing body of a nonprofit youth serving organization is to adopt policies and procedures to require all coaches of youth football leagues to successfully complete a youth football league training course every two years. The course is to include, but is not limited to: concussion awareness; proper fit of protective equipment, including helmets and pads; heat emergency preparedness; sudden cardiac arrest awareness; and proper technique for blocking and tackling. The DOH is to require the course to be updated as necessary to reflect the most current information on the topics covered.
A coach is to receive a certificate upon successful completion of the course. The bill prohibits a coach who fails to successfully complete the course from coaching a youth football league; however, certain coaches that have successfully completed a head injury safety training program are not required to take the concussion awareness portion of the course.
The bill defines "coach" as any paid or volunteer head or assistant coach of a team in a youth football league. A "youth football league" is defined as any interscholastic football program or league organized by or affiliated with a public or nonpublic school, a nonprofit youth serving organization as defined by section 1 of P.L.1999, c.432 (C.15A:3A-1), a county or municipal recreation department, or the governing body of a county or municipality.
The DOH, in consultation with the DOE and DCA, is to adopt rules and regulations to implement this bill.
