Bill Text: NJ A5506 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits youth serving organizations from imposing "stay-to-play" requirements.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-09-17 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee [A5506 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5506-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits youth serving organizations from imposing "stay-to-play" requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning youth serving organizations and supplementing Title 5 of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act, "youth serving organization" means a sports team, league, athletic association or any other corporation, association or organization, including public and nonpublic schools, which provides recreational, instructional, educational, cultural, social, charitable or other activities or services to persons under 18 years of age.
2. It shall be an unlawful practice and a violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.) for a youth serving organization to require, as a condition of eligibility to participate in an activity or service it provides, the use of a designated travel agent, lodging, or transportation entity.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits "stay to play" requirements for youth serving organizations.
Under the bill, it is an unlawful practice and a violation of the consumer fraud act for a youth serving organization to require the use of a designated travel agent, hotel, or transportation entity as a condition of eligibility to participate in an activity or service it provides.
Typically, stay-to-play means that, to participate in a tournament or event, athletes and team members are required to stay at one of the hotels included in the official tournament or event housing block. All reservations are required to be made through the designated reservation portal and to appear on the official rooming list and final compliance report.
Although this practice may have initially been intended to assist players and their families in obtaining affordable room rates, it is increasingly seen as restrictive and may increase the cost of participating in athletics and on various teams.
An unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act is punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, violations may result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages, and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party.
