Section 644:8-e Willful Interference With Organizations or Projects Involving Animals or With Animal Facilities.


   I. Whoever willfully causes bodily injury or willfully interferes with any property, including animals or records, used by any organization or project involving animals, or with any animal facility shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
   II. Whoever in the course of a violation of paragraph I causes serious bodily injury to another individual or economic loss in excess of $10,000 shall be guilty of a class B felony, and may be subject to an order of restitution pursuant to RSA 651:63.
   III. For the purposes of this section:
      (a) ""An organization or project involving animals'' means:
         (1) A commercial or academic enterprise that uses animals for food or fiber production, agriculture, research, education, or testing.
         (2) Any lawful competitive animal event, including but not limited to conformation shows or obedience trials, field trials, agility events, hunts, sled races, or training activities.
         (3) Any fair or similar event intended to advance the agricultural arts and sciences.
      (b) ""Animal facilities'' means any vehicle, building, structure, research facility, or premises where an animal is kept, handled, housed, exhibited, bred or offered for sale.
      (c) ""Economic loss'' means ""economic loss'' as defined in RSA 651:62, III.
   IV. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict any constitutional, statutory, regulatory or common law right.

Source. 1993, 170:1, eff. May 24, 1993.