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NASO Monitors Legislation Affecting Sports Officials

Three major issues facing sports officials today are being addressed by NASO on a national level:

  1. Assaults and lawsuits against sports officials;
  2. The status of sports officials in the area of employee/employer versus independent contractor in the eyes of state revenue departments;
  3. The need for officials to protect themselves from liability claims at every level of Sport.

Appropriate measures must be taken to educate and empower those who can orchestrate the changes needed. Sportsmanship must be returned to our athletic contests. Citizenship and respect should be stressed at all levels of play.

Sports officials must be able to perform their difficult and often thankless tasks in an independent, professional and competent manner unfettered by the threat of personal injury, administrative hearings, or litigation because of their game calls.

NASO promises to keep its membership apprised and strives to be a leader addressing these issues.

VIEW THE LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD – A running tally of what has been done in every state to protect officials. You can also see the exact language every state has used here.

MODEL LEGISLATION is available for advocates and legislators to use as a basis for crafting bills that specifically make it a serious crime to assault or harass sports officials.

GUIDE TO WHAT YOU CAN DO to advance the cause of officials’ protection in your own state.

Disclaimer: Neither NASO, its board of directors, administrative staff, nor any entity thereof, including the webmaster, webpage designer, or volunteers of same organization warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information contained within these webpages and shall not be liable for any losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current due to the rapidly changing nature of laws and legislation across all 50 United States and territories under U.S. jurisdiction. Any person or entity who relies on any information contained within does so at his or her own risk.