Committee hears 'referee' bill to increase penalties for school and sports intimidation

Lena Langer, counsel to the committee, briefed that engrossed Senate Bill 52 72 expands the offenses of interference by force or violence and intimidation by threat of force or violence to cover employees, contractors, volunteers and students at public and private elementary and secondary schools and extracurricular athletic activities. Langer said the bill raises the maximum fine for interference to $1,000 and increases confinement to up to 364 days; nonstudent offenders would be excluded from the school and participating extracurricular activities for 12 to 18 months.

Senator John Lubbock, sponsor, described increasing verbal and physical attacks on officials and recounted his own experience as a referee who was threatened and followed to his car. "Over 50% of officials have felt unsafe on the job," he said, and argued the bill would help address the shortage of officials by improving safety and consequences for abuse.

Remote and local witnesses supported the bill. Bob West recounted a career‑ending head‑butt and urged the committee to "move this legislation towards a vote," while Al Merkel (Spokane Valley City Council) and Linda Thompson (Washington Association for Substance Misuse and Violence Prevention) described local impacts on youth sports and the value of signage and education to restore community norms.

The chair said the committee plans executive action on this bill in the following day's session. The hearing record combines staff detail on statutory changes, sponsor testimony about safety and shortage of officials, and multiple community witnesses asking the committee to advance the bill.