STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7475--B
IN SENATE
May 15, 2014
___________
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring research
dogs and cats at certain facilities to be offered for adoption through
private placement or a non-profit animal rescue and shelter organiza-
tion
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "Research animal retirement act".
3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 239-b to
4 read as follows:
5 § 239-b. Research dogs and cats. 1. Research dogs and cats. A higher
6 education research facility that receives public money, including tax-
7 exempt status, or a facility that provides research in collaboration
8 with a higher education facility, and other related research facilities
9 that confine dogs or cats for science or research purposes shall, after
10 the completion of any testing or research where the animal's destruction
11 is not required and the animal is no longer needed, offer the dogs or
12 cats for adoption, either through private placement or to non-profit
13 animal rescue and shelter organizations for adoption prior to euthaniz-
14 ing such animals. If private placement is unsuccessful such facility
15 shall offer the dogs or cats to non-profit animal rescue and shelter
16 organizations prior to euthanizing.
17 2. A facility that is required to offer dogs or cats to non-profit
18 animal rescue and shelter organizations under this section may enter
19 into an agreement with non-profit animal rescue and shelter organiza-
20 tions for the implementation of this section.
21 3. A facility that is required to offer dogs or cats for adoption
22 under this section shall owe no duty of care to any non-profit animal
23 rescue and shelter organization that accepts the animal or to any person
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13843-08-4
S. 7475--B 2
1 or entity that may adopt such animals, whether through such organiza-
2 tions or through private placement. No assumption of responsibility or
3 liability for injuries, property damage, or other damages or losses
4 shall be incurred by such research facility on account of the adoption
5 or placement of any dog or cat pursuant to the provisions of this arti-
6 cle.
7 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
8 have become a law, provided that the state education department is
9 authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take any
10 other measures necessary to implement this act on its effective date, on
11 or before such date.
