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S3297
SENATE, No. 3297
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 2, 2026
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.