STATE OF NEW JERSEY
210th LEGISLATURE
CHAPTER 74

AN ACT concerning the establishment of athletic codes of conduct for players, coaches, officials and parents and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes.

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

C.5:17-1 Athletic code of conduct, permitted; “youth sports event” defined.
1. a. A school board or youth sports team organization may establish an athletic code of conduct. An athletic code of conduct established pursuant to the provisions of this act shall contain guidelines for conduct of behavior to be observed at youth sports events and shall permit the school board or youth sports team organization to ban the presence of any person at youth sports events who (1) engages in verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any student, coach, official or parent, or (2) initiates a fight or scuffle with any student, coach, official, parent, or other person if the conduct occurs at or in connection with a school or community sponsored youth sports event.
b. As used in this act, “youth sports event” means a competition, practice or instructional event involving one or more interscholastic sports teams or sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.

C.5:17-2 Athletic code of conduct established by school board, agreement required for participation.
2. A school board which has established an athletic code of conduct pursuant to the provisions of this act may require that all students, coaches, officials, or parents of students as a condition of participation in any athletic program by the student, agree in writing to a code of conduct established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2002, c.74 (C.5:17-1) which would require the student, parent, coach or official to refrain from verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any student, coach, official or other parent, or, from initiating any fight or scuffle with any person. The board shall have the power to ban the presence of any student, coach, parent or official at any subsequent school sports event who shall violate the athletic code of conduct.

C.5:17-3 Athletic code of conduct established by certain sports teams, agreement required for participation.
3. Any sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department may require that all youth athletes, coaches, officials, or parents of youth athletes as a condition of participation in any athletic program by the youth athlete agree in writing to a code of conduct established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2002, c.74 (C.5:17-1) which would require the youth athlete, parent, coach or official to refrain from verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any student, coach, official or other parent, or, from initiating any fight or scuffle with any person. The sports team shall have the power to ban the presence of any youth athlete, coach, parent or official at any subsequent youth sports event who shall violate the code of conduct.

C.5:17-4 Violation of code, ban; resumption of participation on counseling.
4. Any student, coach, official, parent or other person subject to the terms and conditions of an athletic code of conduct established pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2002, c.74 (C.5:17-1 et seq.) who violates the provisions of the athletic code of conduct, may be banned from attending any subsequent school or community sponsored youth sports event. In the event that any student, coach, official, parent or other person subject to the terms and conditions of an athletic code of conduct is banned from attendance, that person may petition the school board or sports team for permission to resume attendance. Prior to being permitted to resume attendance, the school board or sports team shall require the individual to present proof of completion of anger management counseling through a public or private source.

C.5:17-5 Attorney General to promulgate model code, policies.
5. The Attorney General shall promulgate:
a. (1) A model athletic code of conduct which may be adopted by a school board or youth sports team organization pursuant to the provisions of this act; and
(2) Model policies regarding banning a person from a school or community sponsored youth sports event, minimum requirements for anger management counseling and permitting a person to resume attendance subsequent to the completion of anger management counseling, which may be adopted by a school board or youth sports team organization pursuant to the provisions of this act.
b. In developing these models, the Attorney General shall consult with youth interscholastic or nonprofit community sports organizations, county and municipal recreation departments and any other organization deemed appropriate.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

Approved August 25, 2002.