Bill > H1590

This bill proposes to add a new section to existing law that would create a civil penalty for anyone who willfully and intentionally damages or destroys crops or agricultural property belonging to someone else without permission. If a lawsuit is successful under this new section, the wronged party could be awarded damages up to three times the assessed value of the destroyed crop or property, plus their attorney fees and court costs, with damages calculated based on the market value before destruction and related production costs. This provision would not prevent victims from pursuing other legal remedies, and it exempts government agencies, including the Department of Agricultural Resources, and their employees acting within their official duties. A "field crop product" is defined as any soil product grown for research, product development, or commercial purposes on a farm, and "agricultural property" includes equipment, water structures, or buildings used in farming operations.