SB 5360, dubbed the “Crimes Against the Environment” bill, narrowly passed the House Environment Committee on Monday by a single vote.
While likely well-intended, this legislation, sponsored by Senator Yasmin Trudeau (D-27), introduces unprecedented legal uncertainty and exposure beyond any existing law.
Under the bill, the Attorney General could bring criminal charges against both businesses and individual employees for alleged environmental violations, regardless of their awareness. The bill applies the lowest legal standard of proof, an inappropriate threshold for cases of this nature.
Adding to concerns, the legislation explicitly exempts government entities. As one legislator noted before the vote, “What is good for the goose should be good for the gander.”
With any luck, House leadership will set this bill aside before it reaches a full vote.
