As referees in athletics at all levels increasingly face not just verbal, but physical abuse by attendees of events, state legislators have offered up what is a harsh, though likely necessary solution to the growing problem.

There's tandem legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly during the 2026 that would criminalize inappropriate physical behavior towards sports officials from youth to professional leagues in Rhode Island.

House Bill No. H7549 and Senate Bill No. S2316 titled in each, "An Act Relating To Criminal Offenses — Assaults," would issue harsh penalties to those who injure referees whether they be at events involving local youth, schools, adult recreational, all the way up to semiprofessional and professional.

The legislation, if passed, would be included in R.I. General Laws Section 1. Chapter 11-5. It creates a series of escalating penalties as the offenses get more serious in nature.

A first offense, as written in subsection (b)(1), for an "assault or battery" of an official, during or after a sporting event, would deemed a felony with possible prison time of up to three years and a fine of $3,000, or both.

As written in subsection (b)(2), if an official incurs "serious bodily injury" from the assault or battery, the term of incarceration increases to no less than three years and up to 20 years with a fine of $10,000, or both.

Serious bodily injury is defined in the legislation as creating a substantial risk of death; causes protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part, member or organ; or causes serious permanent disfigurement.

In addition, those guilty of the crime on either count would be required to make restitution to the victim or perform up to 500 hours of community service.

The sponsors in the House included one representative from the East Bay, Matthew Dawson (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) along with Judiciary Committee Chairperson Thomas Noret, Earl Read, Evan Shanley, Stephen Casey, Nathan Biah, Megan Cotter, Arthur Corvese, Joseph McNamara and William O'Brien.

The sponsors in the Senate are David Tikoian, Matthew LaMountain, Hanna Gallo, John Burke, Andrew Dimitri, Stefano Famiglietti, Brian Thompson, Leonidas Raptakis, Pete Appollonio and Todd Patalano.

Similiar legislation is already on the books in 23 states. Rhode Island is one of eight states where a bill protecting sports officials is currently under consideration.

The necessity
Dawson, the second vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is quite sympathetic to the plight of referees, saying the atmosphere in which they work has gone beyond what is reasonably tolerable.

"You've got a situation where the referees are getting more threats," Dawson explained. "Just people think it's OK to openly threaten your life while you're doing your job. And I just think they need some help along the lines along of letting everybody know it's not acceptable. "

Dawson said his thoughts on the issue stem as far back as two decades ago when on TV he saw an assault of an umpire during a Major League Baseball game. He's also personally witnessed a rise in the acrimonious nature of the abuse while attending local youth and high school athletic contests.

"I go back to a Chicago Cubs game I remember when two fellas jumped out of the stands, and tried to beat up the umpire," Dawson recollected. "It was about 20 years ago. It was unbelievable. These guys were just out of their minds, and, in my opinion, they should have gone to jail, but they all they got was a slap on the wrist."

He continued, "The genesis of my thoughts on these things is just that people have lost it. It's something about social media, I think. Something about social media has just changed society in such a manner that we're gonna have to hit back and let people know you can't do this.

"Just because you saw it on Instagram, you can't have it anymore. Social media has highlighted this. It's resulted in this really outrageous behavior by people. And this is just something you have to send a message to everybody to calm down."

The process
How the bill will fare during the 2026 session is to be determined. Dawson admitted to not knowing if his colleagues on Smith Hill will share his sense of urgency for its immediate passage.

Dawson, though, referenced the process of legislation proposed during the 2025 Assembly session by the Office of Secretary of State Gregg Amore, his immediate predecessor in the District 65 seat, on protections for elections workers at polling places. Dawson sponsored the bill. It subsequently received ample public attention and was passed on first try.



"I would compare it to what we did last year with the secretary of state's bill," Dawson said. "It got it in the paper. And once you get it in the paper, let people know that it's not okay, and then you get a change the thought process having to do with the situation without really forcing the issue, and hopefully not have to arrest anybody.

"I don't know, but usually with something like this, when it's a new idea it takes time. I'm in my fourth year now. My experience is when things come out, when they're brand new kind of, it takes a little while to get them done.

"It'll depend a lot upon what happens during the hearings that we have. It will make a difference if people read about it and see what people have to say. But something like this, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a little time. If it doesn't go this year, maybe next year, but I think it's a good idea."

The result
Ultimately, Dawson thinks the public attention could create pressure on some to change their ways for the better.

"In addition to everything else I've said, it's a personal peeve of mine. I've had occasion to go to different things over these, hockey and soccer, and the way that parents behave these days, it's just unbelievable. I'm 58 years old. When I was a kid you'd get an occasional remark here or there. Now, they just openly scream at people that are volunteering to do their job," Dawson added.


He concluded, "I hopeful that the fact that it's in there. I'm happy that you're writing of something about it. I'm hopeful that the word that we're even considering it gets into the papers, and people realize what's going on.

"Sometimes the journey is its own reward, just putting this thing or there. People read it and then maybe somebody will think twice before they start barking at a nine-year-old kid or an umpire. Because we're going to send the word out there. Knock it off. Our society still has rules, and we need to follow them."