Legislation tentatively approved Friday included a new misdemeanor charge for entering residential property of an academic researcher with the intent to intimidate or interfere with research. Another law also would make it a misdemeanor to publish information online that either describes an academic researcher and family members, or gives their residential location with the intention of assisting violence or threats, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Assembly Bill 2296 still requires some final procedural steps and a signature by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It comes after recent firebomb attacks on University of California-Santa Cruz animal researchers and vandalism at a UCLA professor's home.

"After the number of violent incidents against researchers, it seems to me they do need some additional protection over and above what the criminal law provides now," said state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica.