A09004 Summary:

BILL NOA09004C
 
SAME ASSAME AS S06903-C
 
SPONSORRosenthal
 
COSPNSRBenedetto, Millman, Colton
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add S11-0538, En Con L
 
Relates to public safety and big cats; prohibits contact with big cats.
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A09004 Actions:

BILL NOA09004C
 
03/06/2014referred to environmental conservation
05/22/2014amend and recommit to environmental conservation
05/22/2014print number 9004a
05/30/2014amend (t) and recommit to environmental conservation
05/30/2014print number 9004b
06/03/2014reported referred to codes
06/09/2014amend and recommit to codes
06/09/2014print number 9004c
06/16/2014reported referred to rules
06/17/2014reported
06/17/2014rules report cal.361
06/17/2014ordered to third reading rules cal.361
06/18/2014substituted by s6903c
 S06903 AMEND=C AVELLA
 03/27/2014REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
 05/13/20141ST REPORT CAL.625
 05/14/2014AMENDED 6903A
 05/14/20142ND REPORT CAL.
 05/19/2014ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
 06/02/2014AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 6903B
 06/10/2014PASSED SENATE
 06/10/2014DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
 06/10/2014referred to environmental conservation
 06/11/2014RECALLED FROM ASSEMBLY
 06/11/2014returned to senate
 06/11/2014VOTE RECONSIDERED - RESTORED TO THIRD READING
 06/11/2014AMENDED ON THIRD READING 6903C
 06/17/2014REPASSED SENATE
 06/17/2014RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
 06/17/2014referred to codes
 06/18/2014substituted for a9004c
 06/18/2014ordered to third reading rules cal.361
 06/18/2014passed assembly
 06/18/2014returned to senate
 08/01/2014DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
 08/11/2014SIGNED CHAP.307
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A09004 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9004C
 
SPONSOR: Rosenthal
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to public safety and big cats   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this bill is to protect animal caretakers, those inter- acting with wild animals, bystanders and the animals themselves by preventing direct contact between wild animals and members of the public.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section one amends the environmental conservation law by adding a new section 11-0538. Section two sets forth the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: In New York and throughout the United States, several roadside zoo exhibitors and traveling menageries allow members of the public to hold, take photos with, and otherwise interact with wild animals in roadside zoos, fairgrounds, malls and other public areas. This activity severely harms the welfare of the animals, endangers the public, and is a heavy burden on law enforcement. This activity also requires an ongoing supply of young animals. Infant animals are prematurely separated from their mothers to be groomed for human handling, often die due to constant handling and travel, and are even subjected to abusive training and painful declawing or deranging procedures in a futile attempt to make them safe for public contact once they mature. After the animals grow too big for handling, they are held on leashes with no protective barriers. Often they are dumped and sent to substandard facilities. There is no safe or humane result when direct contact with wild animals is allowed. Other states, including Kansas; Mississippi, and Arizona, have strengthened existing laws to address public contact issues. This legislation is narrowly crafted to prohibit direct physical contact between members of the public and captive Big Cats. This bill would not impact exhibition of captive animals or restrict veterinary examination, treatment and care, or transportation deemed necessary.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: Undetermined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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A09004 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         9004--C
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      March 6, 2014
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. ROSENTHAL, BENEDETTO, MILLMAN, COLTON -- read
          once and referred to the Committee on  Environmental  Conservation  --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee -- again reported  from  said  committee
          with  amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said

          committee -- reported and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Codes  --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          public safety and big cats
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
     2  new section 11-0538 to read as follows:
     3  § 11-0538. Direct contact between public and big cats prohibited.
     4    1. As used in this section:
     5    (a)  "Big  cat"  shall  mean  any live species of lion (panthera leo),
     6  tiger (panthera tigres), leopard (panthera pardus) (with  the  exception

     7  of  clouded leopards (neofelis nebulosa)), jaguar (panthera onca), moun-
     8  tain lion, sometimes called cougar (felis concolar)  or  any  hybrid  of
     9  such species.
    10    (b)  "Direct  contact" means physical contact or proximity where phys-
    11  ical contact is possible, including, but  not  limited  to,  allowing  a
    12  photograph  to be taken without a permanent physical barrier designed to
    13  prevent physical contact between the public and big cats.
    14    (c) "Dealer" shall mean any person who, in commerce, for  compensation
    15  or  profit,  delivers  for  transportation,  or  transports, except as a
    16  carrier, buys, sells, or negotiates the purchase or sale of any animals.
    17    (d) "Exhibitor" shall mean any person (public or  private)  exhibiting

    18  any  animals,  which were purchased in commerce or the intended distrib-
    19  ution of which affects commerce, or will affect commerce, to the  public
    20  for  compensation,  as  determined  by  the  commissioner, and such term
    21  includes carnivals, circuses, and zoos exhibiting such  animals  whether
    22  operated for profit or not.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14190-09-4

        A. 9004--C                          2
 
     1    2.  It  shall  be  unlawful  for any person licensed or required to be
     2  licensed as an exhibitor or dealer pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, 7

     3  USC 2132-2134, including agents or employees of such person, to knowing-
     4  ly allow the public to have direct contact with a big cat.
     5    3.  Any  person  who  violates the provisions of this section shall be
     6  subject to a penalty of not more than five hundred dollars for the first
     7  offense and not more than one thousand dollars for a second  and  subse-
     8  quent  offenses.  Each  instance of allowing direct contact of a big cat
     9  with the public in violation of this section shall constitute a separate
    10  offense.
    11    4. Nothing in this section shall be construed  to  limit  or  restrict
    12  veterinary examination, treatment or care of a big cat or transportation
    13  of the animal for such purpose.

    14    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    15  it shall have become a law.
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