WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

A 4983

Prohibits discrimination in government procurement

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and 2 co-sponsors

Requires a statewide recurring training for coaches and athletic trainers on student‑athlete eating disorders and mandates school/college protocols for suspected cases.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 4983

Summary — A4983 (Assembly)

Prohibits discrimination in government procurement — (Title appears generic; actual bill concerns student‑athlete eating disorder training)

Note: Although the short title in the record refers to procurement, the bill text and fiscal documents establish that A4983 requires development and completion of a student‑athlete eating disorder awareness training program.

Purpose / Intent

Require the New Jersey Department of Education (in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education and the Commissioner of Health) to develop a student‑athlete eating disorder awareness training program and require designated coaches and athletic trainers in public K–12 schools and public higher education institutions to complete the training on a recurring basis. Require school boards and public college governing boards to adopt written protocols for responding when a student‑athlete is suspected of having an eating disorder.

Key provisions

  • Commissioner of Education must develop the training program within 120 days of the law’s effective date, updating it as needed and considering material from athletic and mental health associations.
  • Training must cover:
    • Types of eating disorders and risk factors
    • Behaviors and symptoms to identify
    • Prevention strategies for student‑athletes
    • Available services at State, county, higher education, and school levels
    • Protocols to connect a student with services
  • Required participants:
    • Coaches of middle school and high school interscholastic sports, cheerleading, and dance programs at public schools
    • Coaches of collegiate sports at public institutions of higher education
    • Athletic trainers employed by public schools and public institutions of higher education
  • Timing and recurrence:
    • Initial completion within six months of the start of the first full school/academic year after program establishment, or within six months of appointment/hire for newly appointed staff
    • Recertification every two years
  • Administrative requirements:
    • Each board of education and each public institution governing board must adopt a protocol describing steps when an eating disorder is suspected, including notifying parents/guardians and school counselors and connecting students to services
    • New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to offer the program as a certification course for high school coaches
  • Committee amendment: completion of the training may count toward athletic trainers’ continuing education requirements.

Who is affected

  • Public K–12 coaches (middle and high school) of sports, cheerleading, and dance programs
  • Athletic trainers employed by public schools and public higher education
  • Coaches of collegiate athletics at public higher education institutions
  • Boards of education and governing boards of public colleges/universities (policy adoption)
  • Department of Education (program development and maintenance)

Fiscal and implementation impacts

  • Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates an indeterminate but likely marginal increase in State General Fund expenditures to develop and maintain the training if existing resources are insufficient.
  • OLS notes a potential annual cost of roughly $140,500 per additional State employee (average salary plus fringe) if new hires are needed.
  • OLS does not anticipate increased expenditures for local school districts or public higher education institutions for developing protocols, expecting them to use existing procedures and resources.

Legislative status & sponsors

  • Introduced: Oct 21, 2024
  • Assembly passed: 3/24/2025 (76–2–0)
  • Reported with amendments by Assembly Community Development & Women’s Affairs Committee: 3/20/2025
  • Referred to Senate Education Committee: 5/12/2025 (also referred to Governmental Operations earlier)
  • Sponsors: Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (primary); cosponsors Dana Levenberg and Jessica Gonzalez‑Rojas
  • Related: companion and prior‑session bills (S3861, S1322, A5622, A2724, A6807, A1024)

If enacted, A4983 would create a statewide, recurring coach/athletic‑trainer training requirement and require local and institutional policies to address suspected eating disorders among student‑athletes.

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

Sign in to ask a question.