RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 355 (HB 184) 2019 Regular Session Henry
New law creates the crime of harassment of a school or recreation athletic contest official
and defines the crime as the harassment of a school athletic or recreation athletic contest
official that occurs under either of the following circumstances and that includes verbal or
non-verbal behavior by the offender that would cause a reasonable person to be placed in fear
of receiving bodily harm:
(1)While the school athletic or recreation athletic contest official is actively engaged in
the conducting, supervising, refereeing, or officiating of a school-sanctioned
interscholastic athletic contest or a sanctioned recreation athletic contest.
(2)In the immediate vicinity of a school-sanctioned interscholastic athletic contest or a
sanctioned recreation athletic contest and is based on the official's performance in the
conducting, supervising, refereeing, or officiating of a school-sanctioned
interscholastic athletic contest or a sanctioned recreation athletic contest.
New law also defines "school athletic contest official" and "recreation athletic contest
official" for purposes of new law.
New law provides the following penalties for persons who commit the offense:
(1)A fine of not more than $500, imprisonment without hard labor for not more than 90
days, or both.
(2)Performance of 40 hours of court-approved community service work.
(3)Mandatory participation in a court-approved counseling program which may include
anger management, abusive behavior intervention groups, or any other type of
counseling deemed appropriate by the court. Cost of the program shall be borne by
the offender.
New law creates the crime of entry or remaining on site of a school or recreation athletic
contest after being forbidden which provides that no person shall without authority go into
or upon or remain in or upon, or attempt to go into or upon or remain in or upon, any
immovable property or other site or location that belongs to another and that is used for any
school athletic contest or recreation athletic contest, including any area in the immediate
vicinity of the site or location of the athletic contest, after having been forbidden to do so,
either orally or in writing, by any owner, lessee, or custodian of the property or by any other
authorized person.
New law provides that whoever violates the provisions of new law shall be fined not more
than $500, imprisoned without hard labor for not more than six months, or both.
Effective August 1, 2019.
(Adds R.S. 14:38.4 and 63.5)