Bill Text: NJ A708 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires school district or nonpublic school to provide appropriate counseling services to student-athlete who makes complaint against coach or sports official.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A708 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-A708-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY, No. 708

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  SHAVONDA E. SUMTER

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires school district or nonpublic school to provide appropriate counseling services to student-athlete who makes complaint against coach or sports official.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

 

An Act concerning counseling services for certain student-athletes 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.    In the event that a student-athlete who participates in a Statewide interscholastic sports program, or the student's parent or guardian, makes a complaint against a coach or sports official during the course of a game, meet, or official competition, the school district or nonpublic school which the student attends shall:

     a.     make available to the student-athlete a school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist to assess any emotional or psychological impact the alleged incident may have had on the student-athlete. The school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist shall refer the student for counseling or such other services deemed necessary; and

     b.    notify the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association of the complaint made against the coach or sports official.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires a school district or nonpublic school to provide counseling services for any student-athlete who makes a complaint against a coach or sports official. Under the bill, in the event that a student-athlete who participates in a Statewide interscholastic sports program, or the student's parent or guardian, makes a complaint against a coach or sports official during the course of a game, meet, or official competition, the school district or nonpublic school which the student attends will: (1) make available to the student-athlete a school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist to assess any emotional or psychological impact the alleged incident may have had on the student-athlete; and (2)  notify the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association of the complaint made against the coach or sports official.

     The school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist will refer the student for counseling or such other services deemed necessary.