SESSION OF 2023
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2139
As Recommended by House Committee on
Education

Brief*
HB 2139 would create the crime of abuse of a sports
official.

“Sports Official” Defined
The bill would define a “sports official” to mean a person
who serves as a referee, umpire, linesman, timekeeper,
assistant, inspector, or judge, or performs similar functions at
a competitive event, whether paid or unpaid.

Crime of Abuse of a Sports Official
“Abuse of a sports official” would be the intentional:
● Striking, shoving, kicking, spitting on, or otherwise
causing physical contact with a sports official or
threatening to engage in such conduct;
● Approaching a sports official in a menacing,
threatening, irate, or violent manner that would
cause a reasonable person to fear for such
person’s safety; or
● Directing threatening, abusive, or obscene
language or making obscene gestures toward a
sports official that would cause a reasonable
person to fear for such person’s safety.
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
 The offense would be a class B person misdemeanor,
unless the sports official is less than 18 years of age, in which
case it would be a class A person misdemeanor. [Note:
Conviction of a class A misdemeanor carries a potential
penalty of up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500.
Conviction of a class B misdemeanor carries a potential
penalty of up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.]
Provisions of the bill would be part of and supplemental
to the Kansas Criminal Code.
[Note: Under current law, such conduct could be
punishable as an unlawful assault or battery.]

Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Education at the request of Representative Sanders.

House Committee on Education
In the House Committee hearing, two sports officials
provided proponent testimony, stating the bill would help
protect officials from abuse, verbal or physical, before, during,
and after a game. The officials pointed to a 2017 survey
conducted by the National Association of Sports Officials and
shared personal accounts. One of the officials stated he
operates as an assigner for various events and highlighted
the decline in registered officials and challenges in scheduling
events statewide. Written-only proponent testimony was
submitted by an umpire, the Executive Director of the Kansas
State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), the
President of USA Softball of Kansas, and a deputy
commissioner of USA Softball (northeastern Oklahoma). The
KSHSAA representative’s testimony noted, in comparison to
10 years ago, 1,365 fewer people are registered in the
officiating pool. Some of the greatest reductions in
registrations are seen in indoor activities where fans have

2- 2139
closer proximity to the officials; basketball and wresting
account for 732 of those reductions.
Neutral testimony was provided by a representative of
the Kansas National Education Association. Written-only
neutral testimony submitted by the President of Washburn
University contained requests for clarification of the bill
language and its expectations.
No opponent testimony was provided.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, the Office of Judicial Administration
(OJA) indicates enactment of the bill could increase the
number of cases filed in district courts because it would
create a new crime. The fiscal note further indicates that
since the crime would carry a misdemeanor penalty, the OJA
notes court services officers could be required to perform
more supervision of offenders. In addition, enactment of the
bill could also result in the collection of additional docket fees,
supervision fees, and fines assessed in those cases filed
under the bill’s provisions. However, the fiscal note indicates
a fiscal effect cannot be determined because the number of
additional cases cannot be estimated. Any fiscal effect
associated with the bill is not reflected in The FY 2024
Governor’s Budget Report.
Crimes; abuse of a sports official; penalties


3- 2139