H.B. 67

1

PROTECTION OF SPORTS OFFICIALS FROM
2 VIOLENT ABUSE
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: David L. Hogue
6 This act modifies the Criminal Code by providing a specific criminal penalty for committing
7 an assault against a sports official and provides related definitions.
8 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
9 ENACTS:
10 76-5-102.9, Utah Code Annotated 1953
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Section 76-5-102.9 is enacted to read:
13 76-5-102.9. Assault against a sports official.
14 (1) As used in this section:
15 (a) "Sports event" means:
16 (i) any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity in a primary or middle school, junior
17 high or high school, college, or university;
18 (ii) any organized athletic activity sponsored by a community, business, or nonprofit
19 organization;
20 (iii) any athletic activity that is a professional or semiprofessional event; or
21 (iv) any other organized and lawful athletic activity in the state.
22 (b) "Sports official" means a person at a sports event who:
23 (i) serves as a referee, umpire, linesperson, timekeeper, coach, or any person who serves
24 in a similar capacity but who may be known by other titles, and is a member of or is registered with
25 a local, state, regional, or national organization that is engaged in providing education and training
26 for sports officiating; or
27 (ii) supervises the participants, such as a coach, trainer, team attendant, game manager,

28 athletic director, assistant athletic director, president, dean, headmaster, principal, or assistant
29 principal of a school, college, or university.
30 (2) Any person who assaults a sports official is guilty of a class A misdemeanor if:
31 (a) h (i) h the assault is committed against a sports official immediately prior to, during, or
31a h IMMEDIATELY h after
32 a sports event during which the victim is acting as a sports official;
33 h [ (b) ] (ii) h the person knew or reasonably should have known that the victim was acting as a
34 sports official; h [ and ] h
35 h [ (c) ] (iii) h the assault is an act not subject to a greater penalty under another provision of
35a state law h [ . ] ; AND
35b ( iv) THE ASSAULT IS COMMITTED BY A PERSON WHO WAS ATTENDING, PARTICIPATING
35c IN, OR INVOLVED IN THE EVENT; OR
35d (b) THE ASSAULT IS COMMITTED IN RETALIATION FOR ANYTHING DONE BY THE SPORTS
35e OFFICIAL AS A PART OF HIS DUTIES. h




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-20-00 7:23 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel