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HB 1938MISSOURISession 2026State Billin committee

Missouri House Bill 1938 establishes criminal penalties for harassing athletic officials and trespassing at sporting events

Original title: SCHOOL OR RECREATION ATHLETIC CONTEST OFFENSES

Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsor: Donna Barnes

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What This Bill Would Do

Missouri House Bill 1938 creates new criminal offenses for harassing school or recreation athletic officials and for trespassing at athletic contest sites after being forbidden. Individuals convicted face fines, potential imprisonment, mandatory community service, and court-approved counseling programs.

Why it matters

Spectators, participants, and visitors at school and community sporting events face misdemeanor criminal charges, financial fines, up to six months in jail, and mandatory community service or counseling if they engage in prohibited or unauthorized entry.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

school or recreation athletic officials

Referees, umpires, coaches, and staff receive explicit statutory protections against harassment while performing their duties.

Directly affected

spectators and visitors at athletic contests

Individuals attending school or recreation sporting events become subject to new criminal misdemeanor penalties, fines, mandatory community service, and counseling requirements for prohibited harassment or trespassing.

Directly affected

public or private elementary and secondary schools

Educational institutions gain legal backing and clearer enforcement options regarding site trespass and staff protection during athletic events.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What behavior constitutes harassment of an athletic official under HB 1938?
is defined as verbal or nonverbal behavior by a person that would cause a reasonable person to be placed in fear of receiving bodily harm while the official is officiating a contest or in the immediate vicinity based on their performance.
What are the mandatory penalties for harassing an athletic official?
In addition to fines or imprisonment, the court must order forty hours of approved community service and participation in a counseling program such as anger management, with all costs paid by the offender and no suspension allowed.
Who qualifies as a recreation athletic contest official?
Any referee, umpire, coach, instructor, administrator, staff person, or recreation employee of any public or quasi-public recreation program.

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. May 15, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Emerging Issues(H)
  2. Jan 8, 2026HouseFloor
    Read Second Time (H)
  3. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read First Time (H)
  4. Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Prefiled (H)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Donna BarnesHouse · District 28DemocraticSponsor

Connected Entities

Joseph Engler, General Assembly, Donna Barnes
PersonJoseph Engler“Chief Clerk of the House.”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“The legislative body enacting the statutes.”Map →
PersonDonna Barnes“Representative introducing House Bill 1938.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

house.mo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment15
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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