West Virginia HB3397: Safe Play Act

What the bill says

To amend and reenact §61-2-15a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the fines for conviction of assault or battery of athletic officials. Article 2. Crimes Against the Person. §61-2-15a. Assault, battery on athletic officials; penalties. (a) If any person commits an assault, as defined in §61-2-9(b), to the person of an athletic official during the time the official is acting as an athletic official, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or confined in jail not.

From the introduced text, March 17, 2025:

A BILL to amend and reenact §61-2-15a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the fines for conviction of assault or battery of athletic officials. Article 2. Crimes Against the Person. §61-2-15a. Assault, battery on athletic officials; penalties. (a) If any person commits an assault, as defined in §61-2-9(b), to the person of an athletic official during the time the official is acting as an athletic official, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined. (b) If any person commits a battery, as defined in §61-2-9(c), against an athletic official during the time the official is acting as an athletic official, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000, or confined in jail not more than twelve months, or both fined and confined. (c) For the purpose of this section, "athletic official" means a person at a sports event who enforces the rules of that event, such as an umpire or referee, or a person who supervises the participants, such as a coach. NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to …

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