Iowa criminalizes gaining access to farms under false pretenses

DES MOINES, IOWA — Falsifying information to gain access to an agricultural operation is now a crime in Iowa.

The law, signed by Iowa's governor on March 2, makes it a crime for anyone to gain entry to an agricultural production facility by making false statements or trying to enter under false pretenses. The crime is punishable by a serious misdemeanor for a first offense and an aggravated misdemeanor for subsequent offenses.