New Jersey Senate Bill S3289

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Refer: 2/2/26

Caption

Directs Commissioner of Education to develop sexual assault prevention training program for high school athletic directors and coaches of interscholastic sports programs.

Summary

S3289 directs the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice, to create a sexual assault prevention training program for high school athletic directors and coaches involved in interscholastic sports. The program must cover how to prevent sexual assault, how to recognize signs of sexual assault, and what services are available to victims, including treatment, counseling, legal assistance, and medical care. The training is to be updated as needed so it reflects current information and protocols. The bill also requires the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to ensure that every coach and athletic director overseeing public or nonpublic high school sports completes the training every four years. Newly appointed coaches and athletic directors must complete it during their first year in the position. The measure takes effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would add a new statewide training requirement for high school athletic directors and coaches, supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. It would place responsibility on the Commissioner of Education to develop the curriculum and on the NJSIAA to enforce recurring compliance for both public and nonpublic school interscholastic sports programs. The practical effect is to expand mandated professional training in school athletics and to formalize sexual assault prevention education within the oversight structure for high school sports.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a protective, preventive policy with an emphasis on student safety and victim support. The sponsorship and stated purpose suggest a generally favorable posture toward strengthening awareness and response capabilities among adults supervising high school athletics. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the provided materials.

Contention

No specific points of contention are recorded in the available committee transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, if the bill were discussed, could include the scope of the mandate, the four-year recertification cycle, administrative burden on schools and the NJSIAA, and whether the training should apply equally to public and nonpublic school programs. However, none of these concerns are attributed to any particular legislator, organization, or stakeholder in the provided record.