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HD 2595

An Act promoting best practices in youth athletic coaching

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Ted Philips

Massachusetts bill requires municipalities to run annual youth coaching training on mental health and abuse prevention, making coach certification mandatory to coach.

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Bill Summary · HD 2595

Summary — HD 2595: An Act Promoting Best Practices in Youth Athletic Coaching

Overview

HD 2595 proposes adding a new provision to Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 111) to establish standardized best practices for youth athletic coaching at the municipal level. The bill aims to improve the safety and well-being of youth athletes by ensuring coaches receive regular training that addresses mental health and the prevention of abuse in sports. It would require municipalities with youth athletic programs to implement and enforce this training for coaches on an annual basis.

Key Provisions

  • New requirement in Chapter 111: Adds Section 244, titled “Youth Coaching Best Practices.”
  • Curriculum establishment: Every municipal recreation department that runs youth athletic activities must establish a best practices curriculum for all coaches involved in those activities.
  • Content of training: The curriculum must include online or in-person trainings that address youth athletes’ mental health and the prevention of psychological and physical abuse related to participation in athletic activities.
  • Annual completion requirement: No individual may coach a youth athletic activity unless they have completed the municipality’s best practices training on an annual basis.

Who is Affected

  • Municipal recreation departments: Responsible for implementing and maintaining the required best practices curriculum.
  • Youth athletic coaches: Must complete the annual training to be eligible to coach.
  • Youth athletes: Stand to benefit from coaching aligned with mental health considerations and abuse prevention.

Compliance and Enforcement

  • Enforcement hinges on municipalities adopting and administering the required curriculum and ensuring annual completion by coaches. The bill text does not specify penalties, funding mechanisms, or oversight bodies beyond the municipal responsibility.

Timeline and Process

  • The bill text establishes the requirement upon enactment but does not specify a precise effective date, phase-in period, or funding details. Per the language, municipalities would need to establish the curriculum and begin annual trainings for coaches as part of their operations going forward.

Context and Status

  • Session and history: The bill is presented in the 2025-2026 General Court session as “An Act promoting best practices in youth athletic coaching.” It references a similar matter filed in a prior session (House No. 2252 of 2023-2024), indicating prior interest in this approach.
  • Status in provided materials: Labeled as a proposed bill with no final enacted status noted in the excerpt.

Potential Impact

  • Promotes safer coaching environments by prioritizing mental health and abuse prevention.
  • Creates a uniform expectation for coach training across municipal youth programs.
  • May involve upfront and ongoing costs for municipalities to develop curricula and administer trainings, as well as time commitments for coaches to complete annual trainings.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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