Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Sampson
SYNOPSIS
Allows ticket prices at postseason athletic events to be increased to offset event-related expenses.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning ticket prices at postseason athletic events and amending P.L.2007, c.41.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.41 (C.18A:11-3.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. As used in this section:
"CPI" means the average annual increase, expressed as a decimal, in the consumer price index for the New York City and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.
b. A public school district shall not join pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1979, c.172 (C.18A:11-3), any voluntary association which oversees activities associated with Statewide interscholastic sports programs if:
(1) the association charges a cable television company an increased licensing fee, rate, assessment or other consideration for the broadcast of playoff games over local access or local originating channels, or both, compared to the licensing fee, rate, assessment or other consideration charged by the district for the broadcast of regular season games over local access or local originating channels, or both;
(2) the association requires increased ticket prices for attendance at playoff games compared to regular season games[, unless the playoff game is held at a location other than a public school and the increased ticket prices are deemed necessary by the Commissioner of Education. In the event that the playoff game is held at a location other than a public school and the commissioner deems an increase in playoff ticket prices is necessary, a public school district shall not join an association that increases adult ticket prices by more than 200% of the cost of the highest adult ticket prices for the regular season games charged by any of the member teams of the athletic conference that is located in closest proximity to the playoff game location, regardless of whether or not any of the playoff teams are members of that athletic conference; and in the event that two or more athletic conferences are equal in distance to the playoff game location, by not more than 200% of the cost of the highest adult ticket prices for regular season games charged by any of the member teams of those athletic conferences. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph to the contrary, the commissioner may allow a public school district to join an association that charges in excess of the amount herein provided if the association demonstrates to the commissioner that the increased ticket prices are required to offset rental, staffing, security, or insurance costs specific to the location site.
In no event shall the commissioner deem an increase in ticket prices for senior citizens or children to be necessary] unless the increased ticket prices are required to offset event-related expenses including, but not limited to, rental, staffing, security, or insurance costs. If increased ticket prices are required to offset event-related expenses at a playoff game held at a public school, a public school district shall not join an association that increases adult ticket prices at that playoff game by more than 300 percent of the cost of a regular season adult ticket charged for a comparable event at the school district where the playoff game is held.
The association shall provide for discounted prices on student tickets for playoff games due to economic hardship, as determined by the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled. The association may provide discounted ticket prices for other groups as deemed necessary by the association in consultation with the school district where the playoff game is held.
The association shall file playoff game ticket prices with the Commissioner of Education no later than 60 days prior to the scheduled playoff game, except that the association may subsequently file adjusted playoff game ticket prices with the commissioner no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled playoff game;
(3) the association charges a membership fee for the 2009-2010 school year which exceeds the membership fee for the 2008-2009 school year multiplied by 1 plus the CPI, and in any subsequent school year charges a membership fee that exceeds the prior school year fee multiplied by 1 plus the CPI, unless the Commissioner of Education deems a greater increase in the membership fee is necessary;
(4) the association charges members an entry fee for teams or individuals competing in playoff games for the 2009-2010 school year which exceeds the entry fee for the 2008-2009 school year multiplied by 1 plus the CPI, and in any subsequent school year charges members an entry fee that exceeds the prior school year fee multiplied by 1 plus the CPI, unless the Commissioner of Education deems a greater increase in the entry fee is necessary; or
(5) the association charges members any assessment in addition to the membership fee, unless the Commissioner of Education deems an additional assessment is necessary.
c. If any provision of this section is determined by the Commissioner of Education to jeopardize the amateur status of the student-athlete, that provision shall be null and void.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.41, s.1)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under the provisions of this bill, a school district is not permitted to join any voluntary association which oversees activities associated with Statewide interscholastic sports programs if the association requires increased ticket prices for attendance at playoff games compared to regular season games, unless those increased ticket prices are required to offset event-related expenses including, but not limited to, rental, staffing, security, or insurance costs. The bill provides that in addition to the requirement that prices of postseason tickets be increased only to offset event-related expenses, in the case of a playoff game held at a public school, a school district is not permitted to join an association that increases adult ticket prices at that playoff game by more than 300 percent of the cost of a regular season adult ticket charged for a comparable event at the school district where the playoff game is held.
The bill also requires that the association provide for discounted prices on student tickets for playoff games due to economic hardship, as determined by the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled. In addition, the association may provide for discounted ticket prices for other groups as deemed necessary by the association in consultation with the school district where the playoff game is held.
Under the bill, the association is required to file playoff game ticket prices with the Commissioner of Education no later than 60 days prior to the scheduled playoff game, although the association may subsequently file adjusted playoff game ticket prices with the commissioner no lat