Substitute House Bill 1085 would expand existing gross-misdemeanor offenses for interference by force or intimidation to cover employees and contractors of public and private K–12 schools, extracurricular officials and volunteers, and would raise maximum penalties for interference by force or violence to up to 364 days and a $1,000 fine.

The bill as introduced required the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop standard signage about the offenses and display it at gym and auditorium entrances and athletic fields. Staff later briefed the committee on an amendment (described on the hearing bill sheet) that removes the signage requirement; staff said removing that provision also removes the estimated OSPI and school-district signage costs in the fiscal note.

Proponents at the public hearing urged the committee to pass the bill to protect coaches, referees, teachers and students. Brandy Petes, who testified about a family member who was injured while refereeing, told the committee: "Until your loved one has been impacted, you may not ever understand." Other testifiers cited incidents of assault and threats at youth sporting events and said enhanced penalties and awareness would serve as a deterrent. Christopher Pokel and student Sophie Linton also spoke in favor, with Pokel saying the signage will "go a long way towards deterrence" and Linton saying the bill will help ensure schools are safer "where students can learn without fear or intimidation."

A lone public opponent argued the bill could produce unintended harms for families: a young testifier said criminal penalties could put parents in jail and potentially place children in foster care, and said she did not believe the bill would reduce the conduct being targeted.

Staff highlighted potential local costs tied to the expanded criminal penalties, which the caseload forecast council could not quantify: local jail and juvenile detention bed costs would fall to counties. The initial fiscal note estimated a one-time OSPI signage cost and roughly $1.5 million for districts statewide if signage had been required; that cost was removed by the amendment discussed in committee.

The committee did not take final action on the bill during the hearing. The public record for the bill contains testimony from S. Linton, B. Petes, C. Pokel and staff L. Langer and D. Clark.