The bill would amend the Penal Code by making the offense of assault committed against persons who contract with government punishable as a felony of the third degree.  Under current law, the offense of assault is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or a felony of the third degree if the assault is committed against a public servant or a member of the defendant’s family or household and the defendant has a previous conviction. 

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year, a fine not to exceed $4,000, or both fine and imprisonment. A third degree felony is punishable by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than ten years or less than two years, or, in addition to imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $10,000.

It is assumed that the additional number of offenders convicted under this statute would not result in a significant impact on the programs and workload of state corrections agencies or on the demand for resources and services of those agencies.