1Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, further providing for assault on
3sports official.

4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:

6Section 1. Section 2301 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
7Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding definitions to read:

8§ 2301. Definitions.

9Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent
10provisions of this article which are applicable to specific
11chapters or other provisions of this article, the following
12words and phrases, when used in this article shall have, unless
13the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to
14them in this section:

15"Athlete." An individual competing in a sporting event.

16* * *

17"Sporting event." An organized athletic competition. The
18term includes interscholastic, intercollegiate, semiprofessional

1and professional athletic competition.

2"Sports official." An individual at a sporting event who:

3(1) enforces the rules of the sporting event;

4(2) supervises the participants in the sporting event;

5(3) serves as an officer or employee of the sponsoring
6entity of the sporting event; or

7(4) serves as an officer or employee of an educational
8institution participating in the sporting event.

9Section 2. Section 2712 heading, (a) and (c) of Title 18 are
10amended to read:

11§ 2712. Assault on sports official or athlete.

12(a) Offense defined.--

13(1) A person who violates section 2701 (relating to
14simple assault), where the victim is a sports official who
15was assaulted during a sports event or was assaulted as a
16result of his or her official acts [as a sports official] or 
17status, is guilty of assault on a sports official.

18(2) A person who violates section 2701, where the victim 
19is an athlete who was assaulted during a sporting event or 
20was assaulted as a result of the victim's official acts or 
21status, is guilty of assault on an athlete.

22* * *

23[(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
24words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
25subsection:

26"Sports event." Any interscholastic athletic activity in a
27junior high school, high school, college or university in this
28Commonwealth or any other organized athletic activity in this
29Commonwealth, including a professional or semiprofessional
30event.

1"Sports official." A person at a sports event who enforces
2the rules of the event, such as an umpire or referee, or a
3person who supervises the participants, such as a coach. The
4term includes a trainer, team attendant, game manager, athletic
5director, assistant athletic director, president, dean,
6headmaster, principal and assistant principal of a school,
7college or university.]

8Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.