H 7549

2026 -- H 7549
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LC004718
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  STATE  OF  RHODE  ISLAND
  IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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  AN ACT
  RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ASSAULTS
  Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Read, Shanley, Casey, Dawson, Biah, Cotter,
  Corvese, McNamara, and O'Brien
  Date Introduced: February 06, 2026
  Referred To: House Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1SECTION 1. Chapter 11-5 of the General Laws entitled "Assaults" is hereby amended by
2 adding thereto the following section:
311-5-18. Assault on sports officials.
4(a) For purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following meanings:
5(1) “Sports official” means any person who enforces the rules of any sporting event such
6 as an umpire, referee, linesman, coach or any other participant in regulating or enforcing the rules
7 of the sporting event.
8(2) “Sporting event” means any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity of any public
9 or private educational institution, any organized athletic activity sponsored by any community,
10 business or non-profit organization to include, but not be limited to, any youth sports organization,
11 any adult league sports organization or any other athletic activity whether semiprofessional or
12 professional organized athletic activity.
13(3) “Serious bodily injury” means physical injury that:
14(i) Creates a substantial risk of death;
15(ii) Causes protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part, member or
16 organ; or
17(iii) Causes serious permanent disfigurement.
18(b)(1) Any person who shall make an assault or battery upon any sports official, while that
19 sports official is performing their official duties, before, during or after the sporting event, shall be
1 guilty of a felony and be imprisoned not exceeding three (3) years or fined not exceeding three
2 thousand dollars ($3,000), or both.
3(2) Any person who shall make an assault or battery upon any sports official while that
4 sports official is performing their official duties, before, during or after the sporting event, that
5 results in serious bodily injury, shall be guilty of a felony and be imprisoned for not less than three
6 (3) years but not more than twenty (20) years, or fined not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000),
7 or both.
8(3) Every person convicted pursuant to subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section shall be
9 ordered to make restitution to the victim of the offense or to perform up to five hundred (500) hours
10 of public community restitution work or attend violence counseling and/or substance abuse
11 counseling, or any combination of them imposed by the sentencing judge. The court may not waive
12 the obligation to make restitution and/or public community restitution work. The restitution and/or
13 public community restitution work shall be in addition to any fine or sentence which may be
14 imposed and not in lieu of the fine or sentence.
15SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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  EXPLANATION
  BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
  OF
  AN ACT
  RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ASSAULTS
  ***
1This act would make an assault upon a sports official during and in the course of their
2 official duties a felony.
3This act would take effect upon passage.
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    LC004718
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