1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 643 FILED ON: 1/15/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1475
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Rodney M. Elliott
_________________
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 to prevent assaults on sports officials.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex1/11/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex2/15/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 643 FILED ON: 1/15/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1475
By Representative Elliott of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1475) of
Rodney M. Elliott and James C. Arena-DeRosa for legislation to prevent assaults on sports
officials. The Judiciary.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act to prevent assaults on 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 adding the following section:-
2 Section 13O. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following term shall, unless the
3context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:
4 "Sports official", any individual who serves as a paid or volunteer referee, umpire or line
5judge, or who serves in similar capacity but may be known by a different title or name.
6 (b) If a person: (i) commits an assault or an assault and battery on a sports official
7immediately prior to, during or immediately following an interscholastic, intercollegiate or any
8other organized amateur or professional athletic contest in which the sports official is
9participating; and (ii) knows or reasonably should know that the sports official engaged in the
10performance of their duties, the person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 and not
11more than $5,000, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not less than 90 days and not
12more than 21/2 years, or both. 2 of 2
13 (c) No person shall require a sports official to remain on the playing surface of an athletic
14contest after the expiration of any interscholastic, intercollegiate or any other organized amateur
15or sporting contest. Whoever violates the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by a
16fine of not more than $200 or by imprisonment for not more than 30 days.