SB 211

Under current law, a person who harasses or intimidates another person by

physical contact or threats of physical contact or by engaging in a course of conduct

or repeated behaviors toward the victim may be required to forfeit up to $1,000.

Under current law, a person who recklessly endangers the safety of another

person is guilty of a Class G felony, except that if the person recklessly endangers the

safety of another person under circumstances that show utter disregard for human

life, he or she is guilty of a Class F felony. A Class G felony is punishable by a fine

up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both. A Class F felony is

punishable by the same fine, imprisonment for up to 12 years and six months, or

both.

Under this bill, a person who harasses or intimidates certain public employees,

including a law enforcement officer; a firefighter; an emergency medical technician;

a first responder; an ambulance driver; a commission warden; a probation, extended

supervision, or parole agent; a school district officer or employee; an operator or

driver of a public transit vehicle; a public or emergency health care provider; a judge;

or an official, employee, or agent of the departments of revenue, safety and

professional services, or workforce development, may be required to forfeit up to

$10,000. A person who recklessly endangers any of the specified public employees

is guilty of a Class F felony, except that if the circumstances demonstrate an utter

disregard for human life, the person is guilty of a Class E felony and may be fined

up to $50,000, imprisoned for up to 15 years, or both.

Under the bill, the greater penalties apply if the public employee was acting in

his or her official capacity when the crime occurred and the person knew or should

have known that the victim was a public employee.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,

the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a

report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to

result if the bill is enacted.