Bill Text: NJ S3861 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain athletic trainers and certain coaches of interscholastic sports, cheerleading and dance programs, and collegiate sports to complete student-athlete eating disorder training program developed by Commissioner of Education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-18 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S3861 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3861-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain athletic trainers and certain coaches of interscholastic sports, cheerleading and dance programs, and collegiate sports to complete student-athlete eating disorder training program developed by Commissioner of Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning interscholastic and collegiate sports and supplementing chapter 40 and chapter 62 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. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education and the Commissioner of Health, shall, within 120 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), develop a student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program. The training program shall include information on:
(1) types of eating disorders and risk factors for developing an eating disorder;
(2) how to identify the behaviors and symptoms exhibited by an individual with an eating disorder;
(3) how to prevent eating disorders among student-athletes;
(4) the services available to a student with an eating disorder offered through the State, county, public institution of higher education, or public school, as applicable; and
(5) protocols for connecting a student-athlete with a potential eating disorder with available services.
b. The commissioner shall update the training program as necessary to ensure that the program reflects the most current information available on eating disorder prevention, behaviors, symptoms, and treatments.
c. In developing the program, the commissioner shall consider any information available from a State or national athletic association or conference or mental health association concerning eating disorder awareness.
d. The training program developed pursuant to this section shall be completed by each person who is:
(1) appointed as a coach of a middle school or high school interscholastic sport, cheerleading program, or dance program offered in a public school pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);
(2) appointed as a coach of a collegiate sport offered at a public institution of higher education pursuant to section 5 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); and
(3) employed as an athletic trainer employed by a public school or a public institution of higher education pursuant to sections 4 and 6 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. Beginning with the first full school year following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each person who is appointed as a coach in a middle school or high school interscholastic sport at a public school shall be required to complete the training program.
b. Each person who coaches a middle school or high school interscholastic sport at a public school shall initially complete the training program within six months of the beginning of the first full school year following the establishment of the training program and every two years thereafter during which the person is appointed as a coach.
c. A newly appointed coach shall complete the training program within six months of appointment.
d. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association shall offer the training program as a certification course for coaches at the high school level.
3. a. Beginning with the first full school year following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each person who is appointed as a coach in a middle school or high school cheerleading or dance program at a public school shall be required to complete the training program.
b. Each person who coaches a middle school or high school cheerleading or dance program at a public school shall initially complete the training program within six months of the beginning of the first full school year following the establishment of the training program and every two years thereafter during which the person is appointed as a coach.
c. A newly appointed coach shall complete the training program within six months of the coach's appointment.
4. a. Beginning with the first full academic year following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), an athletic trainer employed by a public school shall be required to complete the training program.
b. Each athletic trainer shall initially complete the training program within six months of the beginning of the first full school year following the establishment of the training program and every two years thereafter during which the person is employed as an athletic trainer.
c. A newly appointed athletic
trainer shall complete the training program within six months of employment.
5. Each board of education shall adopt a policy detailing the protocol to be followed by a coach, athletic trainer, or other public school staff when it is suspected that a student-athlete may have an eating disorder, including how to notify the student-athlete's parents or guardians and the school counselor, and how to connect the student-athlete with appropriate services.
6. a. Beginning with the first full academic year following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each person who is appointed as a coach for a collegiate sport at a public institution of higher education shall complete the training program.
b. Each person who coaches a collegiate sport at a public institution of higher education shall initially complete the training program within six months of the beginning of the first full academic year following the establishment of the training program and every two years thereafter during which the person is appointed as a coach.
c. A newly appointed coach shall complete the training program within six months of the appointment.
7. a. Beginning with the first full academic year following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), an athletic trainer employed by a public institution of higher education shall complete the training program.
b. Each athletic trainer employed by a public institution of higher education shall initially complete the training within six months of the beginning of the first full academic year following the establishment of the training program and every two years thereafter during which the person is employed as an athletic trainer.
c. A newly appointed athletic trainer shall complete the training program within six months of employment.
8. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy detailing the protocol to be followed by a coach, athletic trainer, or other staff when it is suspected that a student-athlete may have an eating disorder, including how to notify the student-athlete of the concern and how to connect the student-athlete with appropriate services.
9. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop a student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program and requires certain coaches of interscholastic sports, cheerleading and dance programs, and collegiate sports to complete the training program.
The training program, developed in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education and the Commissioner of Health, is required to include information on: the types of eating disorders and risk factors for developing an eating disorder; how to identify the behaviors and symptoms exhibited by an individual with an eating disorder; how to prevent eating disorders among student-athletes; information on the services available to a student with an eating disorder offered through the State, county, public institution of higher education, or public school, as applicable; and protocols for connecting a student-athlete with a potential eating disorder with available services. Additionally, the bill requires the commissioner and secretary to update the program as necessary and, in developing the program, consider any information available from a State or national athletic association or conference or mental health association.
Under the bill, beginning with the first full school year or academic year, as applicable, following the establishment of the student-athlete eating disorder awareness training program, a person who is appointed as a coach of a middle school or high school interscholastic sport, a middle school or high school cheerleading or dance program, or a collegiate sport, and an athletic trainer employed by a public school or public institution of higher education is required to complete the training program every two years. A coach or athletic trainer is required to initially complete the training program within six months of the first full school year or academic year, as applicable, following the establishment of the training program. The coach or athletic trainer is then required to complete the training program every two years thereafter. Finally, a newly appointed coach or newly employed athletic trainer is required to complete the training program within six months of their appointment or employment.
Additionally, the bill each board of education and governing board of a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy detailing the protocol that a coach, athletic trainer, or other staff member is to follow when it is suspected that a student-athlete may have an eating disorder.
