S.F. 2158 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 708.2D Assault against a sports 1 official. 2 1. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section 3 708.1, against a sports official, within the confines or 4 immediate area of the athletic facility or field at which an 5 athletic contest is being or has recently been held in which 6 the sports official took an active officiating role, is guilty 7 of a serious misdemeanor. 8 2. For purposes of this section, a “sports official” means 9 any person who serves as a referee, umpire, linesman, or 10 other similar official at any athletic contest, and who is a 11 registered member of a local, state, regional, or national 12 organization which is engaged, in part, in providing education 13 and training related to officiating such athletic contests. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill provides that a person who commits an assault 18 against a person who is officiating an athletic contest or 19 against a person who has officiated the athletic contest, where 20 the assault occurs within the confines or immediate vicinity of 21 the athletic facility or field where the athletic contest is 22 being or was held, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. 23 The bill defines “sports official” to mean any person 24 who serves as a referee, umpire, linesman, or other similar 25 official at any athletic contest, and who is a registered 26 member of a local, state, regional, or national organization. 27 A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no 28 more than one year and a fine of at least $315 but not more than 29 $1,875. 30 -1- LSB 5889SS (5) 85 jm/rj 1/ 1