Excerpted from a NJ.com story by Keith Sargeant
New Jersey lawmakers are renewing calls to require all coaches in youth sports organizations across the state, including private teams and trainers, to undergo annual background checks before working with athletes under the age of 18.
State Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, D-Atlantic, Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, and Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, D-Essex, said the bill (A4692) aims to strengthen oversight of youth sports programs and the booming private training circuit. The lawmakers said the legislation also was spurred by a 2025 NJ.com investigation that exposed how dangerous coaches are infesting youth sports across the state and flying under the radar because of errors in the state’s sex offender registry.
“As a mom, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of our children,” Katz said in a statement.“Families trust youth sports leagues, clubs and organizations with their kids every single day. This legislation ensures that every adult in those spaces is subject to consistent, thorough background checks so parents can have greater peace of mind.”
The proposal is similar to a bill (A5872) introduced by Webber last year that sought fines of up to $1,000 for sports organizations and criminal penalties for coaches or trainers who knowingly violate the law.
“We know that predators go where the children are,” Webber said. “The vetting process has not kept pace with the explosive growth of youth activities and the increasing demand for adult leaders like coaches, trainers, and instructors. We need to shore up regulations and oversight over youth organizations to protect New Jersey’s children.”
While state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, and Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, co-sponsored a companion bill, the measure didn’t get past committees in the last legislative session. Bucco and Vitale re-introduced their bill (S3016) in the state Senate on Jan. 13.
NJ.com’s groundbreaking investigation revealed at least 118 youth sports coaches, trainers or industry workers have been accused of sex crimes across the state since 2015. That includes at least 62 instances of alleged sexual misconduct since 2020 alone. Those individuals got access to children by exploiting the lack of background checks, the lawmakers noted Wednesday.
The latest bipartisan Assembly bill to require coaches to undergo annual criminal background checks aims to change that, they said.
An explosion of travel sports and a shift from town recreation leagues to private organizations has led to hundreds of new teams and trainers who operate outside of regulated oversight, allowing predators to skirt background checks and prey on children. Background check requirements for coaches vary drastically from league to league, with some requiring stringent background checks and others requiring none.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring that every adult who works with our children keeps them safe,” Bagolie said. “That responsibility extends to every area of their lives, including youth leagues, sports clubs, and training programs across our state. Requiring annual criminal background checks for coaches and instructors will establish a clear, consistent statewide standard, close gaps in the current system, and strengthen protections for children participating in youth sports.”
New Jersey lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed outrage and called for reform in response to the NJ.com reports, which also drew concern from then-U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist.
Sherrill, who was inaugurated as New Jersey’s governor in January, vowed to work with the state legislature “to close gaps where we can in state law, better train coaches and educate parents, and work to protect our kids from abuse in sports.”
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