H.F. 2020 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 708.2D Assault against a sports 1 official. 2 1. A person who commits a simple misdemeanor assault, as 3 described in section 708.2, subsection 6, against a sports 4 official, within the confines or immediate area of the athletic 5 facility or field at which an athletic contest is being or has 6 recently been held in which the sports official took an active 7 officiating role, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. 8 2. For purposes of this section, “sports official” means 9 a 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 enhances the penalty for certain assaults against 18 a sports official. 19 The bill provides that a person who commits a simple 20 misdemeanor assault against a person who is officiating an 21 athletic contest or against a person who has officiated in an 22 athletic contest, where the assault occurs within the confines 23 or immediate vicinity of the athletic facility or field where 24 the athletic contest is being or was held, is guilty of a 25 serious misdemeanor. 26 A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no 27 more than one year and a fine of at least $315 but not more than 28 $1,875. 29 -1- LSB 5326YH (3) 86 jm/rj 1/ 1