Bill Text: NJ A2171 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to waive 365-day period of ineligibility for interscholastic sports upon an affirmative demonstration that the transfer is for non-athletic reasons.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A2171 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A2171-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Directs the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to waive 365-day period of ineligibility for interscholastic sports upon an affirmative demonstration that the transfer is for non-athletic reasons.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning participation in interscholastic sports programs by certain students and supplementing chapter 11 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that interscholastic athletics often enhance the educational experience and the overall physical and emotional well-being of students. In addition to providing healthy forms of exercise and promoting healthy lifestyles, participating in interscholastic athletics fosters friendships and camaraderie while instilling the values of competition, sportsmanship, and fair play. The benefits gained from participating in interscholastic athletics should be encouraged and made available to all students, and students who transfer from one school to another for non-athletic reasons without a change of residence should not be unfairly denied the opportunity to participate.
2. a. As used in this section, "bona fide change of residence" means when the parent or guardian moves with the student from one municipality included within a public high school district to another municipality included within a different public high school district.
b. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association shall waive the prohibition that a student in grades 10, 11, or 12 who transfers from one secondary school to another without a bona fide change of residence is ineligible to participate for a period of 365 calendar days in any sport in which the student participated at the previous school of attendance on any high school level, if the student affirmatively demonstrates that the transfer is for non-athletic reasons.
c. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association may impose a prohibition that a student who transfers from one secondary school to another without a bona fide change of residence is ineligible to participate in a sport for a period of 30 calendar days if the student participated in that sport on the varsity level at the previous school of attendance. The prohibition shall commence with the first interscholastic contest in that sport played by the transfer school on the varsity level.
A student who did not participate at the varsity level in a sport at the previous school of attendance shall be eligible to participate immediately in that sport on the junior varsity or varsity level at the transfer school.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) to waive the prohibition that a student in grades 10, 11, or 12 who transfers from one secondary school to another without a bona fide change of residence is ineligible to participate for a period of 365 calendar days in any sport in which the student participated at the previous school of attendance on any high school level, if the student affirmatively demonstrates that the transfer is for non-athletic reasons.
Under the bill, the NJSIAA may impose a prohibition that a student in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 who transfers from one secondary school to another without a bona fide change of residence is ineligible to participate in a sport for a period of 30 calendar days if the student participated in that sport on the varsity level at the previous school of attendance. The prohibition would commence with the first interscholastic contest in that sport played by the transfer school on the varsity level. A student who did not participate at the varsity level in a sport at the previous school of attendance is eligible to participate immediately in that sport on the junior varsity or varsity level at the transfer school.
