H.B. 1524 Summary

• Requires persons sentenced for theft of agricultural products to pay restitution to property owners for the stolen commodity value and replanting costs.

• Mandates agricultural commodity sellers provide valid photo identification to buyers and requires buyers to verify seller identity before completing ownership and movement certificates.

• Establishes criminal penalties for violations of agricultural commodity certification requirements: Class C felony if commodity value exceeds $100, misdemeanor if $100 or less.

• Adds theft of commercially marketed agricultural commodities as a second-degree theft offense, with lack of ownership and movement certificates serving as prima facie evidence of theft.

• Repeals sections 145-26 and 145-28 relating to citation and summons procedures and oath administration, consolidating agricultural commodity theft enforcement into criminal penalty framework.