House committee hears bill to strengthen penalties for assaults, intimidation at school sporting events

Representative Schmidt, prime sponsor of House Bill 1085, briefed the House Community Safety Committee on Jan. 27 on proposed expansions to the state’s school-related offenses to protect athletic officials, school employees and students.

The bill would broaden the existing gross-misdemeanor offenses for “interference by force or violence” and “intimidation by threat of force or violence” to explicitly cover employees and contractors of public and private elementary and secondary schools, students, and volunteers serving as officials for extracurricular athletics. It would increase the maximum penalty for interference by force or violence to a fine of up to $1,000 and confinement for up to 364 days and require the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop standard signage notifying the public of the offenses and penalties.

Why it matters: Sponsors said the measure targets violence and threats…