Assembly Bill A10950

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10950
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 14, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. LUPARDO, CONRAD, ANGELINO, SHIMSKY, McDONOUGH,
   MANKTELOW, JENSEN, DeSTEFANO, SEMPOLINSKI -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation  to  the  assault  on  sports
   officials
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "sports officials protection act".
   §  2.  Subdivision  14 of section 120.05 of the penal law, as added by
 chapter 268 of the laws of 2016, is amended and a new subdivision 15  is
 added to read as follows:
   14. With intent to prevent or obstruct a process server, as defined in
 section  eighty-nine-t  of  the  general business law, from performing a
 lawful duty pursuant to article three of  the  civil  practice  law  and
 rules,  or  intentionally,  as retaliation against such a process server
 for the performance of the process  server's  duties  pursuant  to  such
 article, including by means of releasing or failing to control an animal
 evincing  the  actor's  intent  that  the animal prevent or obstruct the
 lawful duty of the process server or as retaliation against the  process
 server,  [he  or she] SUCH PERSON causes physical injury to such process
 server[.]; OR
   15. WITH INTENT TO CAUSE PHYSICAL INJURY TO A SPORTS  OFFICIAL,  WHICH
 SHALL  INCLUDE  UMPIRES,  REFEREES, JUDGES, LINESMEN, COACHES, ASSISTANT
 COACHES, AND ANY OTHER PERSON PARTICIPATING IN AN OFFICIAL OR SUBSTITUTE
 CAPACITY AT A SPORTS CONTEST, SUCH PERSON CAUSES  SUCH  INJURY  TO  SUCH
 SPORTS  OFFICIAL  IN  OR  ON OR WITHIN ANY BUILDING, STRUCTURE, ATHLETIC
 PLAYING FIELD OR PLAYGROUND AT WHICH THE SPORTS CONTEST  INCLUDING  PRE-
 GAME  AND  POST-GAME  ACTIVITIES  ARE  CONDUCTED;  INCLUDING ANY AND ALL
 SURROUNDING PARKING FACILITIES OR AREAS DESIGNATED FOR PARKING FOR  SUCH
 SPORTS CONTESTS.
   §  3.  The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.34 to read
 as follows:
 § 240.34 HARASSMENT OF A SPORTS OFFICIAL.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14980-02-6
 A. 10950                            2
 
   A PERSON IS GUILTY OF AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF A SPORTS OFFICIAL WHEN,
 WITH INTENT TO HARASS, ANNOY, THREATEN OR ALARM A SPORTS OFFICIAL, WHICH
 SHALL INCLUDE UMPIRES, REFEREES, JUDGES,  LINESMEN,  COACHES,  ASSISTANT
 COACHES, AND ANY OTHER PERSON PARTICIPATING IN AN OFFICIAL OR SUBSTITUTE
 CAPACITY AT A SPORTS CONTEST, SUCH PERSON:
   1.  STRIKES,  SHOVES, KICKS OR OTHERWISE SUBJECTS SUCH SPORTS OFFICIAL
 TO PHYSICAL CONTACT, OR ATTEMPTS TO THREATEN TO DO THE SAME;
   2. CAUSES OR ATTEMPTS TO CAUSE  SUCH  SPORTS  OFFICIAL  TO  COME  INTO
 CONTACT WITH SALIVA BY EXPELLING SUCH FLUID AT A SPORTS CONTEST; OR
   3.  COMMUNICATES  A THREAT TO CAUSE PHYSICAL HARM TO, OR UNLAWFUL HARM
 TO THE PROPERTY OF A SPORTS OFFICIAL, AND THE PERSON KNOWS OR REASONABLY
 SHOULD KNOW THAT SUCH COMMUNICATION WILL CAUSE SUCH SPORTS  OFFICIAL  TO
 REASONABLY FEAR HARM TO SUCH OFFICIAL'S PHYSICAL SAFETY OR PROPERTY.
   HARASSMENT OF A SPORTS OFFICIAL IS A VIOLATION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.