Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last weekend (Sept. 28) signed into law Assembly Bill 2296, legislation which enhances law enforcement's ability to protect academic researchers and their families from acts of violence and intimidation by anti-animal research extremists. The law, sponsored by the University of California, takes effect immediately.

The new law will help state law enforcement and prosecutors protect academic researchers and their families who are victims of threatening and destructive tactics employed by extremist activists, without jeopardizing legitimate and lawful expressions of free speech. The legislation will add criminal provisions to state law, as a counterpart to existing federal and state laws, regarding the commission of certain activities intended to chill, prevent the exercise of or interfere with a researcher's ability to carry out academic work.

"University of California researchers are leaders in scientific and technological breakthroughs that are enhancing the lives of Californians and all Americans," said UC President Mark G. Yudof. "This law will provide law enforcement with some of the tools necessary to help protect academic researchers so they can continue to perform ground-breaking research without the threat of violence. I want to publicly thank Governor Schwarzenegger, the Legislature and particularly Assemblymember Mullin for their leadership on this important legislation, which sends a strong message of California's support for academic research and innovation and its unwillingness to tolerate violence against researchers or their families."

AB 2296 was introduced by Assemblymember Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco, in February. The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support and passed the Assembly and the Senate in August by unanimous votes.

"Increasingly, the potential for innovative thought and new medical therapies is jeopardized by threats aimed at researchers and their families," said Mullin. "The signing of AB 2296 sends a message that California recognizes its researchers and their families need to be protected from threats of violence."

The legislation will help protect researchers and their families by enacting a new misdemeanor law prohibiting the publication of information describing or depicting academic researchers, their immediate families or their locations with the intent that another person imminently use the information to commit a crime involving violence or a threat of violence. AB 2296 will also provide that entry onto the residential property of an academic researcher for the purpose of chilling, preventing the exercise of or interfering with the researcher's ability to carry out their academic work will be considered trespassing and a misdemeanor offense.

For more information on AB 2296 and the University of California: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/animalresearch

For more information on the University of California: www.universityofcalifornia.edu