BILL NUMBER: S662
SPONSOR: GALLIVAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to the assault on sports
officials
 
PURPOSE:
To modify pertinent sections of the state's aggravated harassment and
assault laws to specifically categorize sports officials working on the
youth, interscholastic, collegiate, amateur, and professional sports
levels and to require a campaign to disseminate information to parents
and other spectators on the protections to be afforded to such sports
officials.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill adds a new subdivision 15 to section 120.05 of
the Penal law governing assault in the second degree to include sports
official.
Section two of the bill adds a new section 240.33 of the Penal law
establishing aggravated harassment of a sports official.
Section three of the bill requires the State Education Department to
establish a spectator information campaign.
Section four of the bill establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Sports officials are an essential part of any organized sporting compe-
tition. In recent years, sports officials (umpires, referees, judges,
coaches, etc.) have unfortunately experienced increasing harassment and
in some cases have been assaulted by spectators of such sporting events.
The actions perpetrated by such spectators is simply unacceptable.
Spectators who have committed these acts not only harm the victim but
also create consternation among the entire community of sports offi-
cials, often resulting in a diminished interest among persons willing to
become a sports official. This dearth of interest is no more acute than
among youth and school sports programs.
In recognition of the important role they perform within organized
sports, this bill would establish enhanced legal protections exclusively
for sports officials. Doing so will also bring New York in line with the
thirty-three other states that have either created specific protections
within the law or recognized the unique role carried out by sports offi-
cials.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.234/A.2510 Referred to Codes
2021-22: S.2639/A.9840 Referred to Codes
2019-20: S.6762 Referred to Codes
2011-12: S.187/A.2385 Referred to Codes
2009-10: S.1052/A.829 Referred to Codes
2007-08: S.47 Referred to Codes
2005-06: S.1158/A.2044 Referred to Codes
2003-04: S.564/A.1579 Referred to Codes
2001-02: S.1224/A.6358 Referred to Codes
1999-00: S.651 Referred to Codes
1997-98: S.5082 Referred to Codes
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S662: 120.05 penal law, 120.05(14) penal law