Senate Bill 17 aims to amend existing statutes regarding special circumstances battery by including community service officers (CSOs) among those protected under the law. Currently, individuals who intentionally cause or threaten bodily harm to judges, prosecutors, or law enforcement officers in response to their official actions face a Class H felony charge. The proposed legislation expands this definition to include community service officers, thereby increasing the penalties for such offenses against them.

The bill specifically modifies the legal language in section 940.203 (2) by inserting references to community service officers while deleting the exclusive mention of law enforcement officers. This change emphasizes the importance of protecting community service officers in their official capacity, aligning their legal protections with those of other judicial and law enforcement figures. The bill may also prompt a review by the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties due to the creation of a new crime or revision of existing penalties.