HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1707        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Daniel Cahill

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to criminal harassment against a sports official.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1707        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to criminal harassment against a sports official.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 43B. Whoever willfully and maliciously engages in an act or series of acts during the course of a sporting event directed at a sports official, who is acting in their official capacity, which threatens serious bodily injury to a sports official that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their personal safety, shall be guilty of the crime of criminal harassment against a sports official and shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment. ; and for a second or subsequent offense, by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than five nor more than ten years.

As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Sports official”, any person who serves as a referee, umpire, line judge, scorer, timer, or who acts in any similar capacity, whether paid or volunteer, during a sporting event and is registered by, or a member of, a local, state, regional or national organization engaged in providing education and training to sports officials.

“Sporting event”, any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity in a primary, middle, junior high, or high school, college, or university, any organized athletic activity sponsored by a community, business, or nonprofit organization, or any semiprofessional athletic activity that is officiated by a sports official.