HB 4999: Relating to crimes against athletic officials - West Virginia

hb4999 s jud am _1 3-3 adopted.htm → Enrolled Committee Substitute · 4 edits · Mar 30, 2026

MODERATE

HB 4999 was amended from a committee substitute to its final enrolled version, primarily removing the committee's explanatory text and adding standard legislative signatures and certification. The core policy language regarding penalties for assaulting athletic officials or participants remains substantively unchanged, though minor formatting adjustments were made to the legal citations and the definition of 'athletic official or participant' to improve clarity.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to criminalize assaults and batteries against athletic officials and participants during events.

TECHNICAL

Removed the committee's explanatory text regarding the amendment process and replaced it with the official enrolled version containing signatures from the Clerks, Speaker, President, and Governor.

Adjusted the citation in subsection (a) to remove the word 'section' before the code reference for consistency.

Corrected a minor inconsistency in subsection (b) by changing 'one year' to 'twelve months' to match the jail term duration specified earlier in the sentence.

DEFINITION

Replaced the phrase 'such as including, but not limited to' with 'including, but not limited to' in the definition of 'athletic official or participant' to correct the phrasing and improve readability.

Engrossed Committee Substitute → hb4999 s jud am _1 3-3 adopted.htm · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that the ban on convicted individuals applies to the official or person acting, not just the official. The ban duration was standardized to 'one year' instead of '365 days', and the legal citation for trespass violations was updated to include two specific code sections. Additionally, the exemption for players was clarified to explicitly state that their actions must be within the scope of the rules or nature of the sport.

Scope change

The scope of protection was slightly broadened to explicitly cover 'any person' acting as an official or participant, and the legal basis for enforcing the ban was expanded.

DEFINITION

Clarified that the ban applies to 'any person' acting as an official or participant, removing ambiguity about who is covered.

Refined the exemption for players to explicitly require that their actions be within the scope of the rules or nature of the sport.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the ban duration from '365 days' to 'one year' for consistency and clarity.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated the legal citation for trespass prosecution to include specific sections (§61-3B-1 and §61-3B-2) instead of a general range.

Committee Substitute → Engrossed Committee Substitute · 2 edits · Mar 14, 2026

MINOR

The bill was updated from a 'Committee Substitute' to its final 'Engrossed' version, incorporating minor punctuation corrections and adding a formal summary of the bill's purpose to the title page. The substantive legal text regarding penalties, definitions, and bans remains unchanged.

Scope change

No change to the scope or applicability of the law; the bill's effect on athletes and officials is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a missing comma after the jail time limit in subsection (a) and added a period at the end of the bill's purpose statement.

Added a descriptive summary of the bill's contents to the title page, clarifying the law's intent for readers.

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to reflect its status as a Committee Substitute, updating the legislative history and session details. The primary substantive change is the addition of 'school administrator' to the list of protected individuals in the definition of an athletic official, expanding who is covered under the new assault and battery protections.

Scope change

The scope of protection was expanded to include school administrators alongside coaches and other officials.

DEFINITION

Added 'school administrator' to the definition of 'athletic official or participant' to broaden the range of protected individuals.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to show it is a Committee Substitute and changed the session year from 2026 to 2026 (lowercase formatting adjustment).

Adjusted the bill summary text to list 'minimum fines' instead of 'minimum jail penalties' and updated the legislative timeline to reflect the Judiciary Committee report date.

Relating to crimes against athletic officials

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