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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1290 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1427
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Rob Consalvo
_________________
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 the assault on and aggravated harassment of sports officials.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Rob Consalvo14th Suffolk1/17/2023Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk2/28/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/13/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1290 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1427
By Representative Consalvo of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1427) of
Rob Consalvo, Bruce J. Ayers and Michael D. Brady relative to assault upon and aggravated
harassment of sports officials. The Judiciary.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to the assault on and aggravated harassment of sports officials.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 265 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 43A the
2following section:-
3 Section 43B. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall, unless the
4context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
5 “Sporting event”, any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity, any organized athletic
6activity sponsored by a community, business or nonprofit organization, any athletic activity that
7is a professional or semiprofessional event and any other organized athletic activity enforced by
8a sports official. A “sporting event” shall also include pre-sporting event and post-sporting event
9activities and surrounding parking areas.
10 “Sports official”, any individual who enforces the rules of a sporting event including, but
11not limited to, a referee, umpire, linesman or someone who serves in a similar capacity but may
12be known by a different title or name and is duly registered by, or a member of, a local, state, 2 of 2
13regional or national organization engaged in part in providing education and training to sports
14officials.
15 (b) Whoever commits an assault or an assault and battery upon a sports official at a
16sporting event shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or
17by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years, or by a fine of not more
18than $5,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
19 (c) Whoever willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series
20of acts at a sporting event directed at a sports official, which seriously alarms that sports official
21and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, shall be guilty of
22the crime of criminal harassment of a sports official and shall be punished by imprisonment in
23the state prison for not more than 5 years, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not
24more than 2½ years, or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both such fine and
25imprisonment.