HB859 Summary

• Establishes an agricultural crime prevention program within the Department of Agriculture with authority to provide grants to agricultural property owners for security equipment (signage, cameras, fencing) and to support law enforcement programs targeting agricultural crimes.

• Creates a specialized unit of brand inspectors with enforcement powers including civil/administrative investigations, warrant service, citation issuance, and property seizure to enforce livestock branding and ownership requirements.

• Implements two new special funds: the agricultural crime prevention special fund (fed by application fees and appropriations) and the brand inspection special fund (fed by brand registration fees and fines).

• Establishes criminal penalties for agricultural crimes including felony charges for habitual agricultural crime (3+ violations in 5 years), unlawful hunting on private lands, and criminal trespass on agricultural land; strengthens existing penalties for livestock theft, brand alteration, and related offenses.

• Appropriates unspecified general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund department positions including grant administrators, supervising brand inspectors, and county-level brand inspectors; effective July 1, 3000.