Chapter 147 Oregon Laws 2001

AN ACT

HB 2385

Relating to agricultural research; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 166.715 and 167.312.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. (1) A person commits the crime of interference with agricultural research if the person knowingly:

(a) Damages any property at an agricultural research facility with the intent to damage or hinder agricultural research or experimentation;

(b) Obtains any property of an agricultural research facility with the intent to damage or hinder agricultural research or experimentation;

(c) Obtains access to an agricultural research facility by misrepresentation with the intent to perform acts that would damage or hinder agricultural research or experimentation;

(d) Enters an agricultural research facility with the intent to damage, alter, duplicate or obtain unauthorized possession of records, data, materials, equipment or specimens related to agricultural research or experimentation;

(e) Without the authorization of the agricultural research facility, obtains or exercises control over records, data, materials, equipment or specimens of the agricultural research facility with the intent to destroy or conceal the records, data, materials, equipment or specimens; or

(f) Releases or steals an animal from, or causes the death, injury or loss of an animal at, an agricultural research facility.

(2) Interference with agricultural research is a Class C felony.

(3) For purposes of this section:

(a) “Agricultural research facility” means any structure or land, whether privately or publicly owned, leased or operated, that is being used for agricultural research or experimentation.

(b) “Agricultural research or experimentation” means the lawful study, analysis or testing of plants or animals, or the use of plants or animals to conduct studies, analyses, testing or teaching, for the purpose of improving farming, forestry or animal husbandry.

(4) In addition to any other penalty imposed for violation of this section, a person convicted of interference with agricultural research is liable for:

(a) Damages to real and personal property caused by acts constituting the violation; and

(b) The costs of repeating an experiment, including the replacement of the records, data, equipment, specimens, labor and materials, if acts constituting the violation cause the failure

of an experiment in progress or irreparably damage completed research or experimentation.

SECTION 2. ORS 167.312 is amended to read:

167.312. (1) A person commits the crime of research and animal interference if the person knowingly does any of the following:

(a) Releases, steals or otherwise causes the death, injury or loss of any animal at or from an animal research facility, other than death, injury or loss incurred during or as the result of legitimate animal medical research and experimentation.

(b) Damages, vandalizes or steals any property in or on an animal research facility for the purpose of damaging, destroying or delaying animal medical research or experimentation.

(c) Obtains access to an animal research facility by misrepresentation for the purpose of performing acts not authorized by that facility.

(d) Enters an animal research facility to destroy, alter, duplicate or obtain unauthorized possession of records, data, materials, equipment or animals.

(e) Obtains or exerts unauthorized control over records, data, materials, equipment or animals of any animal research facility for the purpose of using, concealing, abandoning or destroying such records, data, materials, equipment or animals.

(f) Possesses or uses equipment or animals that the person reasonably believes have been obtained by theft or deception from an animal research facility or without the authorization of an animal research facility.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “animal research facility” means any facility engaging in legal scientific [or agricultural] research or teaching involving the use of animals.

(3) Research and animal interference is a Class C felony.

(4) In addition to any other penalty imposed for violation of this section, a person convicted of such violation is liable:

(a) To the owner of the animal for damages, including the costs of restoring the animal to confinement and to its health condition prior to commission of the acts constituting the violation;

(b) For damages to real and personal property caused by acts constituting the violation; and

(c) For the costs of repeating an experiment, including the replacement of the animals, labor and materials, if acts constituting the violation cause the failure of an experiment.

SECTION 3. ORS 166.715 is amended to read:

166.715. As used in ORS 166.715 to 166.735, unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) “Documentary material” means any book, paper, document, writing, drawing, graph, chart, photograph, phonograph record, magnetic tape, computer printout, other data compilation from which information can be obtained or from which information can be translated into usable form, or other tangible item.

(2) “Enterprise” includes any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, business trust or other profit or nonprofit legal entity, and includes any union, association or group of individuals associated in fact although not a legal entity, and both illicit and licit enterprises and governmental and nongovernmental entities.

(3) “Investigative agency” means the Department of Justice or any district attorney.

(4) “Pattern of racketeering activity” means engaging in at least two incidents of racketeering activity that have the same or similar intents, results, accomplices, victims or methods of commission or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics, including a nexus to the same enterprise, and are not isolated incidents, provided at least one of such incidents occurred after November 1, 1981, and that the last of such incidents occurred within five years after a prior incident of racketeering activity. Notwithstanding ORS 131.505 to 131.525 or 419A.190 or any other provision of law providing that a previous prosecution is a bar to a subsequent prosecution, conduct that constitutes an incident of racketeering activity may be used to establish a pattern of racketeering activity without regard to whether the conduct previously has been the subject of a criminal prosecution or conviction or a juvenile court adjudication, unless the prosecution resulted in an acquittal or the adjudication resulted in entry of an order finding the youth not to be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

(5) “Person” means any individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in real or personal property.

(6) “Racketeering activity” includes conduct of a person committed both before and after the person attains the age of 18 years, and means to commit, to attempt to commit, to conspire to commit, or to solicit, coerce or intimidate another person to commit:

(a) Any conduct that constitutes a crime, as defined in ORS 161.515, under any of the following provisions of the Oregon Revised Statutes:

(A) ORS 59.005 to 59.451, 59.660 to 59.830, 59.991 and 59.995, relating to securities;

(B) ORS 162.015, 162.025 and 162.065 to 162.085, relating to bribery and perjury;

(C) ORS 162.235, 162.265 to 162.305, 162.325, 162.335, 162.355 and 162.365, relating to obstructing governmental administration;

(D) ORS 162.405 to 162.425, relating to abuse of public office;

(E) ORS 162.465, relating to interference with legislative operation;

(F) ORS 163.095 to 163.115, 163.118, 163.125 and 163.145, relating to criminal homicide;

(G) ORS 163.160 to 163.205, relating to assault and related offenses;

(H) ORS 163.225 and 163.235, relating to kidnapping;

(I) ORS 163.275, relating to coercion;

(J) ORS 163.670 to 163.695, relating to sexual conduct of children;

(K) ORS 164.015, 164.043, 164.045, 164.055, 164.057, 164.075 to 164.095, 164.125, 164.135, 164.140, 164.215, 164.225 and 164.245 to 164.270, relating to theft, burglary, criminal trespass and related offenses;

(L) ORS 164.315 to 164.335, relating to arson and related offenses;

(M) ORS 164.345 to 164.365, relating to criminal mischief;

(N) ORS 164.395 to 164.415, relating to robbery;

(O) ORS 164.865, 164.875 and 164.868 to 164.872, relating to unlawful recording or labeling of a recording;

(P) ORS 165.007 to 165.022, 165.032 to 165.042 and 165.055 to 165.070, relating to forgery and related offenses;

(Q) ORS 165.080 to 165.109, relating to business and commercial offenses;

(R) ORS 165.485 to 165.515, 165.540 and 165.555, relating to communication crimes;

(S) ORS 166.180, 166.190, 166.220, 166.250, 166.270, 166.275, 166.410, 166.450 and 166.470, relating to firearms and other weapons;

(T) ORS 164.377 (2) to (4), as punishable under ORS 164.377 (5)(b), 167.007 to 167.017, 167.062 to 167.080, 167.087, 167.090, 167.122 to 167.137, 167.147, 167.164, 167.167, 167.212, 167.355, 167.365 and 167.370, relating to prostitution, obscenity, gambling, computer crimes involving the Oregon State Lottery, animal fighting and related offenses;

(U) ORS 171.990, relating to legislative witnesses;

(V) ORS 260.575 and 260.665, relating to election offenses;

(W) ORS 314.075, relating to income tax;

(X) ORS chapter 323, relating to cigarette taxes;

(Y) ORS 411.630, 411.675, 411.690 and 411.840, relating to public assistance payments, and ORS 411.990 (2) and (3);

(Z) ORS 462.140, 462.415 and 462.420 to 462.520, relating to racing;

(AA) ORS 463.995, relating to boxing and wrestling, as defined in ORS 463.015;

(BB) ORS 471.305, 471.360, 471.392 to 471.400, 471.403, 471.404, 471.405, 471.425, 471.442, 471.445, 471.446, 471.485, 471.490 and 471.675, relating to alcoholic liquor, and any of the provisions of ORS chapter 471 relating to licenses issued under the Liquor Control Act;

(CC) ORS 475.005 to 475.285 and 475.940 to 475.995, relating to controlled substances;

(DD) ORS 480.070, 480.210, 480.215, 480.235 and 480.265, relating to explosives;

(EE) ORS 819.010, 819.040, 822.100, 822.135 and 822.150, relating to motor vehicles;

(FF) ORS 658.452 or 658.991 (2) to (4), relating to farm labor contractors;

(GG) ORS chapter 706, relating to banking law administration;

(HH) ORS chapter 714, relating to branch banking;

(II) ORS chapter 716, relating to mutual savings banks;

(JJ) ORS chapter 723, relating to credit unions;

(KK) ORS chapter 726, relating to pawnbrokers;

(LL) ORS 166.382 and 166.384, relating to destructive devices;

(MM) ORS 165.074;

(NN) ORS 59.840 to 59.965, relating to mortgage bankers and mortgage brokers;

(OO) ORS chapter 496, 497 or 498, relating to wildlife;

(PP) ORS 163.355 to 163.427, relating to sexual offenses;

(QQ) ORS 166.015, relating to riot;

(RR) ORS 166.155 and 166.165, relating to intimidation;

(SS) ORS chapter 696, relating to real estate and escrow;

(TT) ORS chapter 704, relating to outfitters and guides;

(UU) ORS 165.692, relating to making a false claim for health care payment;

(VV) ORS 162.117, relating to public investment fraud;

(WW) ORS 164.170 or 164.172; [or]

(XX) ORS 647.140, 647.145 or 647.150, relating to trademark counterfeiting; or

(YY) Section 1 of this 2001 Act.

(b) Any conduct defined as “racketeering activity” under 18 U.S.C. 1961 (1)(B), (C), (D) and (E).

(7) “Unlawful debt” means any money or other thing of value constituting principal or interest of a debt that is legally unenforceable in the state in whole or in part because the debt was incurred or contracted:

(a) In violation of any one of the following:

(A) ORS chapter 462, relating to racing;

(B) ORS 167.117 to 167.164, relating to gambling; or

(b) In gambling activity in violation of federal law or in the business of lending money at a rate usurious under federal or state law.

(8) Notwithstanding contrary provisions in ORS 174.060, when this section references a statute in the Oregon Revised Statutes that is substantially different in the nature of its essential provisions from what the statute was when this section was enacted, the reference shall extend to and include amendments to the statute.

SECTION 4. In any civil action arising out of conduct that would constitute interference with agricultural research under section 1 of this 2001 Act, the court shall award:

(1) Treble the amount of damages claimed to real and personal property; and

(2) The costs of repeating experiments including, but not limited to, the costs of replacing records, data, equipment, specimens, labor and materials, if the conduct causes the failure of an experiment in progress or irreparable damage to completed research or experimentation.

Approved by the Governor May 18, 2001

Filed in the office of Secretary of State May 18, 2001

Effective date January 1, 2002

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