By Bob Katzen

The House gave initial approval to a bill that imposes a prison sentence of between 90 days and 2.5 years or a fine of between $500 and $5,000 on a person who assaults a transit worker while the transit worker is performing his or her duties. The measure also expands the definition of assault to cover flinging a bodily substance including blood, saliva, mucous, semen, urine or feces.

“Before the Carmen’s Union approached me with this issue, I had no idea how bad these experiences were,” said sponsor Rep. Joe McGonagle (D-Everett). “Seeing the statistics, hearing the stories, it is very hard to ignore. It is imperative that our transit workers are able to perform their jobs safely, knowing they have support and protection.”