HBA-AMW H.B. 275 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 275 By: Berman Criminal Jurisprudence 3/11/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sports officials in Texas and all across the country have been threatened and assaulted both on and off the field. Although many states are taking steps to increase criminal penalties for threatening or assaulting a sports official, currently Texas does not impose stricter penalties for assaulting a sports official. House Bill 275 increases penalties for assault offenses against sports officials. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 275 amends the Penal Code relating to the punishment for assaults committed against certain sports officials. The bill provides that it is a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of the offense that a person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse, and the offense was committed against a person the actor knows is a sports official, either while the official is performing duties in his or her capacity as a sports official or in retaliation for or on account of the official's performance of a duty as a sports official. The bill provides that it is a Class A misdemeanor if a person intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spouse, or intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative, and the offense is committed against a person the actor knows is a sports official either while the official is performing duties in the official's capacity as a sports official or in retaliation for or on account of the official's performance of a duty as a sports official. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.