HB 1656

Present law provides that a person commits assault against a law enforcement officer, first responder, or nurse, who is discharging or attempting to discharge their official duties, who either (i) k nowingly causes bodily injury to such persons or (ii) k nowingly causes physical contact with such persons and a reasonable person would regard the contact as extremely offensive or provocative, including, but not limited to, spitting, throwing, or otherwise transferring bodily fluids, bodily pathogens, or human waste onto such person s. Present law provides that a ssault against a law enforcement officer is a Class E felony, and is punished by a mandatory fine of $10,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days incarceration. A ssault against a first responder or nurse is a Class A misdemeanor, and is punished by a mandatory fine of $5,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days incarceration. In either case, t he defendant is not eligible for release from confinement until the defendant has served the mandatory minimum sentence. This bill raises the offense classification of assault against a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor, and its related fines and sentence as described above, to a Class E felony, and its related fines and sentence as described above.