Legislative Information Relating to Animals and the Law

NYS Assembly

• A00239   Provides for an increase in criminal penalties for acts of cruelty to animals
• A00406   Relates to animal control and licensing of animals; makes various amendments to dog licensing laws in N.Y. city; establishes an animal population control fund; repealer
• A00427   Relates to instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification of teachers
• A00592   Relates to companion animal hoarding
• A00600   Allows the release of any animal to another pound, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or humane society in certain cases
• A00991   Relates to animal control and licensing of animals
• A00992   Provides for tax credit for the adoption of household pets from animal shelter or humane society
• A00998   Increases the penalty for multiple convictions of torturing or failing to provide sustenance to a companion animal
• A00999   Provides for humane destruction or disposition of certain animals; repealer
• A01273   Prohibits gelatin and gelatin by-products from being used in animal commercial feed
• A01274   Relates to the examination of cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease
• A01375   Relates to the maintaining of copies of purchase invoices and labeling of all commercial feed products for ten years
• A01376   Establishes a toll-free statewide number for use in the investigation and prevention of animal fighting
• A01377   Relates to the definition of pet dealer
• A01699   Prohibits transportation of animals in open areas of motor vehicle unless such animals are enclosed or restrained
• A02142   Increases moneys available for the purpose of spaying, neutering and animal cruelty prevention
• A02163   Includes animal wrestling and baiting in the prohibition of animal fighting
• A02164   Defines abandonment of an animal and provides for criminal penalties for such abandonment; repealer
• A02193   Creates a financial incentive for owners transporting a diseased bovine animal for testing
• A02194   Provides that commercial feed shall be deemed adultered if it contains the blood or blood product of any mammalian animal in any form
• A02450   Survey farmers included in the N.Y. animal health identification system as to whether or not they would like to be included in the system
• A02671   Excludes certain animals from the definition of "wildlife"
• A02711   Establishes a tort cause of action for the wrongful injury or death of a companion animal
• A02768   Relates to the reporting of animal abuse or maltreatment
• A02927   Creates the concentrated animal feeding operation board to study nutrient management and exchange
• A03022   Provides for a prohibition on trapping animals for sport
• A03025   Requires the labeling of meat and dairy products as "clone-free" where the product is not a product of genetic engineering or from a cloned animal or its progeny
• A03130   Establishes the crime of sale or possession of images of animal cruelty
• A03168   Requires that individuals convicted of certain animal cruelty and animal fighting offenses reimburse the organizations caring for such animals
• A03241   Makes various provisions relating to cruelty to animals
• A03467   Relates to the humane treatment of animals and rights of students relative to dissection
• A03576   Requires operators of petting zoos and other public establishments featuring animals to maintain hand washing or hand cleansing facilities for patrons
• A03765   Authorizes district attorney to petition for posting of security when animal is impounded as result of abuse
• A04018   Allows taxpayers to contribute to the support of the animal population control fund by marking a space on a corporate or personal income tax return
• A04111   Establishes the livestock nutrient management program: agricultural operations with more than 1000 animal units to develop plans for the spreading of animal waste
• A04224   Creates the concentrated animal feeding operation environmental compliance revolving loan program
• A04318   Creates the rescued animals spay and neuter fund
• A04513   Provides for the humane removal of downed animals
• A04794   Requires the use of biodiesel blend in state diesel operated vehicles
• A04795   Requires a blend of biodiesel fuel in retail heating oil
• A04871   Establishes a biodiesel grant program for the agricultural production of biodiesel
• A05507   Prohibits sale of dogs and cats by animal facilities under inhumane conditions
• A05512   Prohibits any person from transporting or selling a nonambulatory animal unless such animal is humanely euthanized
• A05518   Relates to assault on a New York city sanitation worker
• A05768   Relates to labeling and sale of cloned animals and food products from cloned animals or the progeny of such animals
• A05852   Exempts domestic and imported animals harvested at a game hunting preserve from the sales and compensating use tax
• A05957   Creates a regents large animal veterinarian loan forgiveness program
• A05985   Eliminates the 21-year limit for the duration of pet trusts
• A06047   Provides a person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when he or she intentionally kills or causes serious physical injury to an animal with aggravated cruelty
• A06077   Includes wildlife animals as those subject to the animal cruelty provisions
• A06126   Expands the requirements for teaching humane education to secondary school students
• A06158   Creates an animal population control fund and animal population control program
• A06287   Increases certain penalties for violating the prohibition of animal fighting
• A06353   Relates to the animal population control program
• A06506   Grants animal abuse investigators of the county of Wayne peace officer status
• A06684   Relates to the creation of an animal cruelty and animal fighting data base
• A06920   Provides for a prohibition on trapping animals for sport
• A06987   Requires sprinkler system and direct alarm system where animals are housed or displayed; excepts farms and circuses
• A07446   Directs the state to provide liability and workers' compensation insurance coverage for volunteers who aid in the protection of animals in a disaster
• A07626   Provides for the establishment of a program to certify certain feed mills, farms, and sellers of food products which produced or used feed that does not contain animal parts
• A07629   Provides for quarantines and declaration of state of emergency in certain instances of disease affecting domestic animals
• A07719   Authorizes a study of animals life in the vicinity of the Dewey Loeffel Hazardous Waste Site
• A07761   Classifies the penalties for various provisions of animal cruelty; makes an increased penalty for multiple violations
• A07812   Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the agriculture and markets law to the penal law and reclassifies certain penalties within; repealer
• A07813   Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the agriculture and markets law to the penal law; repealer
• A07868   Designates animal control officers employed by the county of Schuyler as peace officers
• A07886   Provides that the information collected and maintained by the department of agriculture and markets relating to animals shall be confidential
• A07917   Relates to the requirement of exercising due care in the operation of a motor vehicle to avoid colliding with any bicyclist, pedestrian or domestic animal
• A07935   Prohibits the ownership, possession or harboring of a wild animal or reptile
• A07983   Relates to the care and sale of dogs and cats by pet dealers
• A08072   Allows live restraint cable devices for trapping of animals
• A08148   Provides that all persons convicted of being spectators at animal fights shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
• A08163   Confinement of animals for food producing purposes
• A08352   Relates to the registration and regulation of animal breeders
• A08444   Increases certain penalties for violating the prohibition of animal fighting and for aggravated cruelty to animals
• A08597   Enacts the "prevention of farm animal cruelty act"
• A08639   Relates to the task force on the slaughter of non-ambulatory animals
• A08925   Relates to authorizing the seizure and confinement of animals in connection with the prevention of rabies
• A09001   Creates a task force on the control of the stray cat population in New York state
• A09400   Requires that individuals convicted of certain animal cruelty and animal fighting offenses reimburse the organizations caring for such animals
• A09449   Requires the release of a shelter animal to a rescue group upon request of the rescue group prior to euthanasia of the animal
• A09505   Establishes the crime of sale or possession of images of animal cruelty
• A09779   Classifies the penalties for various provisions of animal cruelty; makes an increased penalty for multiple violations
• A09780   Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the agriculture and markets law to the penal law and reclassifies certain penalties within; repealer
• A09781   Recodifies the animal cruelty laws from the agriculture and markets law to the penal law; repealer
• A09912   Limits ownership or possession of companion animals by "Buster's Law" violators
• A10073   Provides a tax deduction from personal income taxes for un-reimbursed expenses paid for veterinary care of companion animals
• A10283   Prohibits a person convicted of violating "Buster's Law" from owning or possessing a companion animal
• A10365   Imposes additional penalties upon persons convicted of animal abuse
• A10387   Creates the animal abuser central registry and county registries, and requires that certain convicted animal abusers register with such registries
• A10509   Amends requirements for pet dealers
• A10541   Expands the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm to a companion animal during the commission of a felony
• A10714   Establishes a twelve percent surcharge on the sale of animals by pet dealers
• A10715   Requires animal shelters to annually report on intake and disposition of animals
• A10772   Authorizes persons who held temporary employment as certain members of the emergency veterinary corps to appear before a state agency
• A11033   Relates to the recovery of abandoned animals from property that has been vacated through lease termination, property foreclosure or abandonment
• A11161   Prohibits the dissemination of depictions of animal cruelty
• A11178   Relates to the disposition of abandoned animals
• A11217   Animal abuser registration act
• A11272   Relates to the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobial agents in animals

NYS Senate

• S00364   Allows taxpayers to contribute to the support of the animal population control fund by marking a space on a corporate or personal income tax return
• S00751   Prohibits any person from transporting or selling a nonambulatory animal unless such animal is humanely euthanized
• S00865   Provides that certain politically motivated activity shall constitute the crime of criminal mischief in the third degree
• S00911   Relates to the killing of confined animals in shooting preserves
• S01015   Requires the labelling of the recycled content level of consumer packaging
• S01403   Increases killing or injuring a police animal from class A misdemeanor to class D felony
• S01496   Makes the commission of cruelty to 10 or more animals during the same criminal transaction, a class E felony
• S01506   Provides for humane destruction or disposition of certain animals; repealer
• S01508   Establishes a toll-free statewide number for use in the investigation and prevention of animal fighting
• S01684   Increases the penalty for multiple convictions of torturing or failing to provide sustenance to an animal
• S02417   Exempts domestic and imported animals harvested at a game hunting preserve from the sales and compensating use tax
• S02420   Provides that the information collected and maintained by the department of agriculture and markets relating to animals shall be confidential
• S02425   Includes wildlife animals as those subject to the animal cruelty provisions
• S02426   Provides for the humane removal of downed animals
• S02491   Requires the labeling of meat and dairy products as "clone-free" where the product is not a product of genetic engineering or from a cloned animal or its progeny
• S02755   Establishes the crime of sale or possession of images of animal cruelty
• S02884   Creates a regents large animal veterinarian loan forgiveness program
• S02914   Prohibits transportation of animals in open areas of motor vehicle unless such animals are enclosed or restrained
• S02982   Grants animal abuse investigators of the county of Wayne peace officer status
• S03070   Eliminates the 21-year limit for the duration of pet trusts
• S03155   Requires that individuals convicted of certain animal cruelty and animal fighting offenses reimburse the organizations caring for such animals
• S03177   Relates to instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification of teachers
• S03517   Provides that all persons convicted of being spectators at animal fights shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
• S03751   Relates to the humane treatment of animals
• S03926   Increases certain penalties for violating the prohibition of animal fighting
• S03947   Requires disclosure labels for dairy products from cows injected with a certain synthetic bovine growth hormone ("rBST")
• S04209   Authorizes a study of animals life in the vicinity of the Dewey Loeffel Hazardous Waste Site
• S04278   Creates an animal population control fund and animal population control program
• S04328   Relates to the creation of an animal cruelty and animal fighting data base
• S04394   Relates to assault on a New York city sanitation worker
• S04515   Relates to the registration and regulation of animal breeders
• S04690   Limits intact animals and relates to the definition of pet dealers
• S04757   Provides for tax credit for the adoption of household pets from animal shelter or humane society
• S04780   Prohibits animal irritancy tests for cosmetics
• S04961   Relates to the care and sale of dogs and cats by pet dealers
• S04962   Provides for humane destruction or disposition of certain animals; repealer
• S04963   Increases the penalty for multiple convictions of torturing or failing to provide sustenance to a companion animal
• S04965   Relates to the definition of pet dealer
• S05144   Includes wildlife animals as those subject to the animal cruelty provisions
• S05192   Relates to authorizing the seizure and confinement of animals in connection with the prevention of rabies
• S05245   Makes it unlawful for any animal owner to allow his or her animal to run at large on public property
• S05292   Relates to the requirement of exercising due care in the operation of a motor vehicle to avoid colliding with any bicyclist, pedestrian or domestic animal
• S05302   Designates animal control officers employed by the county of Schuyler as peace officers
• S05369   Relates to animal control and licensing of animals; makes various amendments to dog licensing laws in N.Y. city; establishes an animal population control fund; repealer
• S05479   Authorizes district attorney to petition for posting of security when animal is impounded as result of abuse
• S05794   Allows the release of any animal to another pound, or duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or humane society in certain cases
• S06218   Makes various provisions relating to cruelty to animals
• S06219   Provides for an increase in criminal penalties for acts of cruelty to animals
• S06284   Provides a person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when he or she intentionally kills or causes serious physical injury to an animal with aggravated cruelty
• S06412   Requires the release of a shelter animal to a rescue group upon request of the rescue group prior to euthanasia of the animal
• S06729   Removes horses from the definition of farm animals and creates equine companion definition
• S07016   Excludes certain animals from the definition of "wildlife"
• S07313   Relates to the task force on the slaughter of non-ambulatory animals
• S07417   Authorizes persons who held temporary employment as certain members of the emergency veterinary corps to appear before a state agency
• S07425   Establishes a twelve percent surcharge on the sale of animals by pet dealers
• S07511   Amends requirements for pet dealers
• S07612   Requires animal shelters to annually report on intake and disposition of animals
• S07695   Requires the use of biodiesel blend in state diesel operated vehicles
• S07760   Establishes a biodiesel grant program for the agricultural production of biodiesel
• S07771   Relates to companion animal hoarding
• S07812   Prohibits the dissemination of depictions of animal cruelty
• S07820   Relates to the humane treatment of animals and rights of students relative to dissection
• S07949   Relates to the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobial agents in animals
• S07955   Relates to the disposition of abandoned animals
• S08433   Relates to the creation of an animal cruelty and animal fighting data base

Legislative/Gubernatorial Reports:

Below are links to legislative reports (PDF format) issued by the Committee. The opinions expressed are those of the Committee, and do not represent those of the New York State Bar Association unless and until they have been adopted by its House of Delegates or Executive Committee.

A.311/S.558 - May 31, 2007

An Act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to fire hazard safety standards for animal housing maintained by pet dealers.

A.312/S.559 - May 31, 2007

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to requiring certain pet dealersto maintain an automatic dialing device to facilitate automatic notification in the event of a fire

A.2572/S.1462 - May 31, 2007

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to prohibiting the slaughtering of horses for human consumption.

A.2612/S.784 - May 31, 2007

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law in relation to the prohibition on canned shoots.

A.5399-A - May 31, 2007

AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the humane destruction or disposition of certain animals; and repealing certain provision of such law relating thereto.

S.1282/A.1990

AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the confinement ofcompanion animals in vehicles in extreme temperatures.

S.4788 /A.6771 - May 31, 2007

AN ACT to amend the executive law in relation to holding harmless certain emergencyvolunteers in disaster response.

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A.6212/S.3330- May 23, 2005

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law, in relation to making it unlawful to force feed birds under certain circumstances.

Supported by the Committee.

A.5421/S.2582   - May 12, 2005

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to security posting for the care of seized animals pursuant to section 373.

Supported by the Committee.

A.1011-A/S.2826   - May 12, 2005

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to fingerprinting requirements for violations of section 353

Supported by the Committee.

A.7032/S.2882.A - May 12, 2005

AN ACT to amend the Environmental Conservation Law in relation to prohibiting on-line shoots.

Supported by the Committee

A.6410/S.3439  - April 29, 2005, amended

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law in relation to requiring certain pet dealers to maintain an automatic dialing device to facilitate automatic notification in the event of a fire emergency.

Supported by the Committee.

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S.2735-A/A.4609-A- August 18, 2003

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the prohibition on canned shoots.

Supported by the Committee.

S.4549-A/A.8679   - July 17, 2003

An ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requiring appropriate shelter for dogs left outdoors.

Supported by the Committee.

S.810/A.1080- May 29, 2003

AN ACT to amend the Real Property Law to add a provision which would prohibit the eviction or denial of occupancy from a multiple dwelling to persons 62 years of age or older solely due to ownership or keeping of pets, with some exceptions.

Recommended for approval by the Committee.

S.2996/A.4884  - May 23, 2003

AN ACT to amend the Agriculture and Markets LAW in relation to unlawful tampering with animal activities.

Disapproved by the Committee. 

Animals Safety

STATEMENT OF JAMES F. GESUALDI, ESQ. - MEMBER NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ANIMALS AND THE LAW
BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS.

"‘DISASTER PREPAREDNESS’"
HAUPPAUGE, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
DECEMBER 13, 2005
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STATEMENT OF JAMES F. GESUALDI, ESQ. - MEMBER NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ANIMALS AND THE LAW
BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS.

"HURRICANES AND THEIR AFTERMATH; ARE WE READY?"
MINEOLA, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
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