HI SR138

Urges the Department of Agriculture to establish a two-year statewide Agricultural Crime Pilot Project to examine the effectiveness of prosecuting agricultural theft, vandalism, and trespass cases.

Requests the Department of Agriculture to create a Crimestoppers Anonymous phone line for reporting agricultural crimes and an accessible online form for farmers and ranchers to report incidents.

Directs the Department of Agriculture to coordinate with the Department of Law Enforcement to form an Agricultural Crime Task Force with language interpretation services and hire enforcement officers in each of the four counties.

Requires assessment of pilot project effectiveness by tracking convictions, identifying best practices for prosecution, determining high-crime areas, and developing crime prevention recommendations.

Mandates interim report submission to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2025 Regular Session and final report no later than 20 days before the 2026 Regular Session.