§803-A. Causing a catastrophe

1.  A person is guilty of causing a catastrophe if the person recklessly causes a catastrophe by explosion, fire, flood, avalanche, collapse of a structure, release or dissemination of poison, toxin, radioactive material, bacteria, virus or other biological agent or vector or other such force or substance that is dangerous to human life and difficult to confine.

[PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

2.  A person is guilty of causing a catastrophe if the person with terroristic intent violates subsection 1.

[PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

3.  As used in this section, the following definitions apply.

A. "Biological agent" means any microorganism, virus, infectious substance, product of biotechnology or component of any such agent, either naturally occurring or bioengineered.   [PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

B. "Catastrophe" means:

(1) For purposes of subsection 1, death or serious bodily injury to 10 or more persons or substantial damage to 5 or more structures, whether or not occupied; and

(2) For purposes of subsection 2, death or serious bodily injury to more than one person, substantial damage to 3 or more structures, whether or not occupied, or substantial physical damage sufficient to disrupt the normal functioning of a critical infrastructure.   [PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

C. "Poison" means toxic or poisonous chemicals or precursors of toxic or poisonous chemicals.   [PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

D. "Toxin" means the toxic material of plants, animals, microorganisms, viruses, fungi or infectious substances or a recombinant molecule, whatever its origin or method of production, including:

(1) Any poisonous substance or biological product of biotechnology produced by a living organism; or

(2) Any poisonous isomer or biological product, homolog or derivative of such a substance.   [PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

E. "Vector" means a living organism or molecule, including a recombinant molecule or any biological product of biotechnology, capable of carrying a biological agent or toxin to a host.   [PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

[PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

4.  Causing a catastrophe is a Class A crime.

[PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2001, c. 634, §6 (NEW).