HOUSE BILL NO. 5172

A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled

"The Michigan penal code,"

(MCL 750.1 to 750.568) by adding section 81f.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 81f. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who assaults, batters, or assaults and batters an individual who performs his or her duties as a sports official immediately before, during, or after a sporting event, or at any other time if the assault, battery, or assault and battery directly arises from the sports official's execution of his or her duty as a sports official, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.

(2) A person who assaults, batters, or assaults and batters an individual who performs his or her duties as a sports official immediately before, during, or after a sporting event, or at any other time if the assault, battery, or assault and battery arises from the sports official's execution of his or her duty as a sports official, causing the individual bodily injury requiring medical attention or medical care is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.

(3) A person who assaults, batters, or assaults and batters an individual who performs his or her duties as a sports official immediately before, during, or after a sporting event, or at any other time if the assault, battery, or assault and battery arises from the sports official's execution of his or her duty as a sports official, causing the individual serious impairment of a body function is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not less than $1,000.00 or more than $5,000.00, or both.

(4) This section does not prohibit a person from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation of law arising out of the same transaction as the violation of this section.

(5) As used in this section:

(a) "Serious impairment of a body function" means that term as defined in section 58c of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.58c.

(b) "Sporting event" means an organized competitive athletic activity between 2 or more individuals.

(c) "Sports official" means an individual who officially administers or officially assists in administering the rules at any sporting event, including, but not limited to, a referee.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.