RELATING TO SPORTS OFFICIALS.

Crime Education Healthcare

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: LA CHICA, AMATO, BELATTI, GARCIA, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, MATSUMOTO, OLDS, PIERICK, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SOUZA, TAM
Last action: 2026-02-18
Official status: The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date set for July 1, 3000, seems unusual and may indicate an error or placeholder.

Sports Officials Protection

The bill allows the Department of Education to hire lawyers for sports officials who face threats or assaults while working and clarifies that school administrators are included as sports officials.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Department of Education to get private lawyers to help sports officials if they are threatened or attacked at work.
Includes substantial bodily injury of a sports official engaged in lawful discharge of duties in the offense of assault in the first degree.
Expands who can be considered a 'sports official' to include school and league administrators, not just referees and umpires.

Who It Names or Affects

Sports officials such as referees, coaches, and administrators who work in schools or leagues.
The Department of Education which can now hire lawyers to protect sports officials.

Terms To Know

Substantial bodily injury: Serious physical harm that requires medical attention.
Lawful discharge of duties: Performing the job responsibilities legally and properly.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a sports official is attacked outside of work hours.
It's unclear how this law will be enforced or funded by the Department of Education.
The effective date for this act is set very far in the future (July 1, 3000), which seems unusual and may indicate an error.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Department of Education to hire private lawyers to help sports officials get temporary restraining orders if they are threatened or assaulted while working, and it also makes assaulting a sports official during their work a more serious crime.

The Department of Education can now hire private lawyers for sports officials who need protection from threats or assaults at work.
Assaulting a sports official while they are doing their job is treated as a more severe offense, similar to assaulting an elderly person.
Defines 'sports official' to include school administrators and athletic directors.

The amendment text specifies the Department of Education but does not clarify if other departments can also hire private counsel for sports officials.

Bill History

2026-02-18 H
The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 02-18-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-12 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 207-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-03 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Thursday, 02-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Referred to EDN, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 5
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-26 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SPORTS OFFICIALS.
DOE Sports Officials; Assault; Private Counsel; Temporary Restraining Order
Authorizes the Department of Education to retain private counsel to represent a sports official in certain civil proceedings to obtain a temporary restraining order in response to incidences where the sports official has been assaulted or threatened in the course of legally discharging their sports official duties. Includes substantial bodily injury of a sports official engaged in the lawful discharge of the sports official's duties in the offense of assault in the first degree. Clarifies that a sports official includes a school administrator, league administrator, or athletics director. Clarifies that a sports official's duties cover sports events at public schools and private schools. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2185

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2185

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to sports officials
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 28, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�28-
�
Civil actions; sports officials.
�
The attorney general may represent a
sports
official
in a civil action in
relation to a sports event at which the
sports official
has been, or has allegedly been, assaulted
or threatened while engaged in the lawful discharge of the sports official's
duties
.
�

For the purposes of this section, "sports official" and
"lawful discharge of the sports official's duties" have the same
meaning as defined in section 706-605.6.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
Section 28-6, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�28-6
�

No fee; not to act as attorney.
�

The attorney general shall not receive any fee or reward from or in
behalf of any person or prosecutor, for services rendered in any prosecution or
business to which it shall be the attorney general's official duty to attend;
nor
, except when acting pursuant to section 28- ,
be
concerned as counsel or attorney for either party in any civil action depending
upon the same state of facts."

����
SECTION

3
.
�
Section
706-605.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (2) to
read as follows:

����
"(2)
�
For the purposes of this section:

����
"Lawful
discharge of the sports official's duty" means the performance of duties
of a sports official from the time the sports official arrives at the venue of
a sports event and ending when the sports official returns to their residence
or business.

����
"Sports
event" means any organized amateur or professional athletic contest in the
State.

����
"Sports
official" means a person at a sports event
, including but not limited
to a sports event at a public or private school,
who enforces the rules of
the event, such as an umpire, referee, timer, or scorer, or a person who
supervises the participants, such as a coach,
or a league or school
administrator,
regardless of whether the person is paid or provides their
services as an unpaid volunteer."

����
SECTION
4.
�
Section 707-710, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

����
"(1)
�
A person commits the offense of assault in
the first degree if the person intentionally or knowingly causes:

����
(a)
�
Serious bodily injury to another
person; [
or
]

����
(b)
�
Substantial bodily injury to a person
who is sixty years of age or older and the age of the injured person is known
or reasonably should be known to the person causing the injury[
.
]
; or

����
(c)
�
B
odily injury to a sports
official who is engaged in the lawful discharge of the sports official's
duties.
�
For the purposes of this
paragraph, "sports official" and "lawful discharge of the sports
official's duties" have the same meaning as defined in section 706-605.6.
"

����
SECTION
5.
�
Section 707-711, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�707-711
�
Assault in the second degree.
�
(1)
�
A person commits the offense of assault in
the second degree if the person:

����
(a)
�
Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly
causes substantial bodily injury to another;

����
(b)
�
Recklessly causes serious bodily injury to
another;

����
(c)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury to a correctional worker, as defined in section 710-1031(2), who is
engaged in the performance of duty or who is within a correctional facility;

����
(d)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury to another with a dangerous instrument;

����
(e)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury to an educational worker who is engaged in the performance of duty or
who is within an educational facility.
�

For the purposes of this paragraph, "educational worker" means
any administrator, specialist, counselor, teacher, or employee of the
department of education or an employee of a charter school; a person who is a
volunteer, as defined in section 90-1, in a school program, activity, or
function that is established, sanctioned, or approved by the department of
education; or a person hired by the department of education on a contractual
basis and engaged in carrying out an educational function;

����
(f)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury to any emergency medical services provider who is engaged in the
performance of duty.
�
For the purposes of
this paragraph, "emergency medical services provider" means emergency
medical services personnel, as defined in section 321-222, and physicians,
physician's assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse
anesthetists, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians,
and social workers, providing services in the emergency room of a hospital;

����
(g)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury
to a person employed at a state-operated or -contracted mental health
facility.
�
For the purposes of this
paragraph, "a person employed at a state-operated or -contracted mental
health facility" includes health care professionals as defined in section
451D-2, administrators, orderlies, security personnel, volunteers, and any
other person who is engaged in the performance of a duty at a state-operated or
-contracted mental health facility;

����
(h)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes
bodily injury to a person who:

���������
(i)
�
The defendant has been restrained from,
by order of any court, including an ex parte order, contacting, threatening, or
physically abusing pursuant to chapter 586; or

��������
(ii)
�
Is being protected by a police officer
ordering the defendant to leave the premises of that protected person pursuant
to section 709-906(4), during the effective period of that order;

����
(i)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to any
firefighter or water safety officer who is engaged in the performance of
duty.
�
For the
purposes of this paragraph,
"firefighter" has the same meaning
as in section 710-1012 and
"water safety
officer" means any public servant employed by the United States, the
State, or any county as a lifeguard or person authorized to conduct water
rescue or ocean safety functions;

����
(j)
�
Intentionally or knowingly
causes bodily injury to a person who is engaged in the performance of duty at a
health care facility as defined in section 323D-2.
�
For purposes of this paragraph, "a
person who is engaged in the performance of duty at a health care
facility" includes health care professionals as defined in section 451D-2,
physician assistants, surgical assistants, advanced practice registered nurses,
nurse aides, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, and radiology
technicians;

����
(k)
�
Intentionally or knowingly
causes bodily injury to a person who is engaged in providing home health care
services, as defined in section 431:10H-201;

����
(l)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes
bodily injury to a person employed or contracted to work by a mutual benefit
society, as defined in section 432:1-104, to provide case management services
to an individual in a hospital, health care provider's office, or home, while
that person is engaged in the performance of those services;

����
(m)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes
bodily injury to a person who is sixty years of age or older and the age of the
injured person is known or reasonably should be known to the person causing the
injury;

����
[
(n)

Intentionally or knowingly causes
bodily injury to a sports official who is engaged in the lawful discharge of
the sports official's duties.
�
For the
purposes of this paragraph, "sports official" and "lawful
discharge of the sports official's duties" have the same meaning as in
section 706-605.6;

����
(o)
]

(n)
�

Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a national
guard member who is engaged in the performance of duty.
�
For purposes of this paragraph,
"national guard member" means a member of the national guard on any
duty or service done under or in pursuance of an order or call of the governor
or the President of the United States or any proper authority as provided by
law; or

���
[
[
(p)]
]
(o)
�
Intentionally or knowingly causes
bodily injury to any protective services worker who is engaged in the
performance of the worker's duties.
�
For
purposes of this paragraph, "protective services worker" means any
administrator, specialist, social worker, case manager, or aide employed by the
department of human services to investigate or provide services in response to
reports of child abuse or neglect, or to investigate or provide services in
response to reports of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult.

����
(2)
�
Assault in the second degree is a class C
felony."

����
SECTION
6.
�
This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION
7.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION
8.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Attorney
General; Sports Officials; Public Schools; Private Schools; Civil Proceedings;
Felony

Description:

Authorizes
the Attorney General to represent sports officials in civil proceedings if the
sports official has been assaulted or threatened in the course of legally
discharging their sports official duties.
�

Makes intentional bodily injury of a sports official
engaged in
the lawful discharge of the sports official's duties a class B felony.
�
Clarifies that a sports official includes a
school or league administrator.
�

Clarifies that a sports official's duties cover sports events at public
schools and private schools.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.