Bill > A4395

Introduced Session

This bill expands the criminal history record background check requirement for current or prospective employees, volunteers, and organizers of youth serving organizations. The bill defines "youth serving organization" as a sports team, league, athletic association, any person or organization that provides private athletic lessons, or any other corporation, private or non-profit association or other organization that provides recreational, cultural, charitable, social or other activities or services for persons under 18 years of age. Under current law, a nonprofit youth serving organization may request, through the Department of Law and Public Safety, that the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) in the Division of State Police conduct a criminal history record background check on a prospective or current employee or volunteer of an organization. This bill expands current law to require these nonprofit youth serving organizations to conduct criminal history record background checks and also require for-profit youth servicing entities to conduct these checks. Under the bill, each employee, volunteer, or organizer of a youth serving organization would be required to have a criminal history record background check conducted at least once a year. An employee or volunteer of a public or nonpublic school who has received a criminal history record background or its equivalent, including, but not limited to, background checks utilized by national and international athletic associations dedicated to youth sports would not be required to obtain an additional background check during the same calendar year that the person is employed or volunteers with a youth serving organization. However, the employee or volunteer would be required to submit a copy of the criminal history record background check to the youth serving organization. The bill also establishes civil penalties for youth serving organizations that fail to request a criminal history background check. Under the bill, a youth serving organization that fails to request a criminal history record background check would be subject to a civil penalty for each offense of up to $500 for a first offense, up to $750 for a second offense, and up to $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense. Under the bill, an employee or volunteer who participates in youth serving organization with the knowledge that the employee or volunteer is disqualified from based on criminal history would be guilty of a fourth degree crime. In addition, it would be a crime of the fourth degree for an organizer, coach, or any other person working in association with a youth serving organization to disregard results of a criminal history background check or fail to obtain a criminal history background check knowing that an employee or volunteer of the organization is disqualified from participating in the organization. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment for not more than 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jay Webber (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (on 02/19/2026)

Official Document