A3755

An Act concerning sports events and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. For the purposes of this act:

“Artificial turf field” means a field with a surface made of synthetic fibers or materials designed to resemble natural grass, commonly used for recreational, educational, or competitive purposes.

“Sports event” means any competition, practice, or instructional activity involving recreational, interscholastic, youth, or collegiate teams. “Sport events” shall not include competitions, practices, or instructional activities for semi-professional and professional teams.

“Water break” means a scheduled pause in activity during a sports event, designated to allow participants to hydrate and rest.

b. Any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event shall implement, at minimum, the following water break schedule based on the outside temperature of the local area for all activities occurring on an artificial turf field:

(1) at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks shall be given every 30 minutes;

(2) at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks shall be given every 20 minutes;

(3) at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks shall be given every 15 minutes; and

(4) at 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, water breaks shall be given every 10 minutes.

c. Any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event on an artificial turf field shall suspend the event if the outside temperature of the local area is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, except that the sports event may be moved indoors to a controlled environment where the temperature may be regulated.

d. Any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization that violates any of the provisions of this act shall receive a written warning issued by a local health authority or department for the first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the school, college, municipality, or recreational organization shall be subject to a civil penalty of $100, which may be collected and enforced by the Department of Health in a summary proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

e. In accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14b-1 et seq.), the Commissioner of Health shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this act.

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of Spring following the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Health may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event to have a water break schedule based on the outside temperature of a local area for competitions, practices, or instructional activities occurring on an artificial turf field.

Under the bill, “artificial turf field” means a field with a surface made of synthetic fibers or materials designed to resemble natural grass, commonly used for recreational, educational, or competitive purposes. In addition, “sports event” means any competition, practice, or instructional activity involving recreational, interscholastic, youth, and collegiate teams, but does not include semi-professional and professional teams.

Under the provisions of this bill, at minimum, the following water break schedule is required based on the outside temperature of the local area for all activities occurring on an artificial turf field: at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 30 minutes; at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 20 minutes; at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 15 minutes; and at 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, water breaks are to be given every 10 minutes.

Additionally, any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event on an artificial turf field is to suspend the event if the outside temperature of the local area is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, except that the sports event may be moved indoors to a controlled environment where the temperature may be regulated.

Any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization that violates any of the provisions of this bill will receive a written warning issued by a local health authority or department for the first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the school, college, municipality, or recreational organization will be subject to a civil penalty of $100, which may be collected and enforced by the Department of Health in a summary proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).