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Committee introduces bill raising penalties for trespass and damage to ‘strategic facilities’
Summary
The House Judiciary and Rules Administration Committee unanimously voted to introduce RS 32,015, a proposal that would increase criminal penalties for damaging or trespassing on designated "strategic facilities," and add penalties for individuals or groups that encourage such acts.
Representative Bridal Raybould, sponsor of RS 32,015, told the House Judiciary and Rules Administration Committee the measure increases criminal penalties for people who damage or trespass on facilities the bill designates as strategic.
The bill raises misdemeanor penalties for damage under $10,000 to up to six months in jail and a fine up to $10,000, while damage exceeding $10,000 would carry a possible sentence of up to two years and fines up to $100,000 (not to exceed measured economic loss). First-time trespass could be punished by up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000; a second trespass within five years would be a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $20,000. The bill would also allow fines up to $100,000 for any person or organization that encourages trespass or damage.
"The RS you have before you today is a culmination of working on this particular issue for several years," Representative Bridal Raybould said, noting recent incidents targeting energy, pipeline and communication systems. She said the bill replaces earlier references to "critical infrastructure" with "strategic facilities" to avoid conflation with federal terminology and to better reflect the measure's intent.
Representative Alfieri said he welcomes the change but raised concern that one clause—page 3, line 4, item X—appears to cover "a transmission facility used by a federally licensed radio or television station," which he described as broad. Representative Bridal Raybould responded that radio and television facilities were included because they serve in national emergency broadcast networks.
The committee voted unanimously to introduce RS 32,015. Representative Garner moved the introduction; no second was recorded on the transcript.
Proponents and committee members asked for further detail at the public hearing stage on the scope of "strategic facilities" and on how the penalties would be applied in practice. No public testimony occurred in this meeting; the vote placed the RS on the committee calendar for future hearing and drafting steps.
