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A04731 Summary:

BILL NOA04731
 
SAME ASSAME AS S01485
 
SPONSORDiPietro
 
COSPNSRMurray
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add §380, Ag & Mkts L
 
Creates the animal abuser central registry, and requires that certain convicted animal abusers register with such registry; provides such registrants are prohibited from possessing, adopting, owning, purchasing or exercising control over any animal except in certain cases in the court's discretion; provides fines and imprisonment for non-compliance.
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A04731 Actions:

BILL NOA04731
 
02/03/2017referred to agriculture
01/03/2018referred to agriculture
06/06/2018held for consideration in agriculture
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A04731 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          4731
 
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 3, 2017
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. DiPIETRO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Agriculture
 
        AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to creating
          the  animal  abuser  central  registry,  and  to  require that certain
          convicted animal abusers register with such registry

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
     2  section 380 to read as follows:
     3    § 380. Animal abuser registry. 1. The commissioner shall establish and
     4  maintain a central registry of individuals convicted of animal abuse and
     5  required to register pursuant to the provisions of this section.
     6    2. Any person over eighteen years of age who has been convicted of one
     7  or more of the following offenses shall register with the county sheriff
     8  for the county in which the animal abuser resides:
     9    (a) a felony violation of any provision of this article;
    10    (b) a violation of the provisions  of  section  three  hundred  fifty-
    11  three,  three  hundred  fifty-three-b,  three  hundred fifty-four, three
    12  hundred fifty-five, three hundred fifty-six, three hundred  fifty-seven,
    13  three  hundred  fifty-eight,  three hundred fifty-eight-a, three hundred
    14  fifty-nine, three hundred fifty-nine-a, three hundred  sixty-two,  three
    15  hundred  sixty-four,  three hundred sixty-five, three hundred sixty-six,
    16  three hundred sixty-six-a,  three  hundred  sixty-eight,  three  hundred
    17  sixty-nine or three hundred seventy of this article;
    18    (c)  a violation of the provisions of section 195.06, 195.11 or 195.12
    19  of the penal law;
    20    (d) a violation of any provision of article two hundred  forty-two  of
    21  the penal law;
    22    (e)  a  violation  of subdivision three of section 130.20 of the penal
    23  law; or
    24    (f) a violation of comparable statutes of another state.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01049-01-7

        A. 4731                             2
 
     1    3. Upon conviction of any offense set forth  in  paragraph  (a),  (b),
     2  (c),  (d)  or  (e)  of  subdivision two of this section, the court shall
     3  certify that the convicted person is an animal abuser and shall  include
     4  the certification in the judgment of conviction and the order of commit-
     5  ment,  if  any.  The  court  shall  provide  a  copy  of the judgment of
     6  conviction to the county sheriff within five days of the  entry  of  the
     7  judgment of conviction. The court shall also advise the animal abuser of
     8  his  or  her  duties under this article.  Failure to include the certif-
     9  ication in the judgment of conviction or the order of  commitment  shall
    10  not relieve an animal abuser of the obligations imposed by this section.
    11    4.  A  person convicted of a violation of another state's animal abuse
    12  statute as provided in paragraph (f) of subdivision two of this  section
    13  who  subsequently  becomes a resident of this state shall, within thirty
    14  days of entering the state, register with the central registry.
    15    5. (a) Each registrant shall provide the following information to  the
    16  county sheriff at the time of registration:
    17    (1) the registrant's name, all aliases used, date of birth, sex, race,
    18  height,  weight,  eye  color,  driver's  license number and current home
    19  address and/or expected place of domicile;
    20    (2) a description  of  any  tattoos,  scars  or  other  distinguishing
    21  features  on  the  animal abuser's body that would assist in identifying
    22  the animal abuser;
    23    (3) a  description  of  the  offense  for  which  the  registrant  was
    24  convicted, the date of conviction and the sentence imposed; and
    25    (4) any other information deemed pertinent by the central registry.
    26    (b)  The  central  registry  shall utilize a standardized registration
    27  form in a format developed by the commissioner. Such form shall be writ-
    28  ten in clear and concise language and shall advise the registrant of his
    29  or her duties and obligations under this article. A copy of  the  regis-
    30  tration  form  shall be provided to the registrant at the time of regis-
    31  tration.
    32    6. (a) Following a registrant's initial registration pursuant  to  the
    33  provisions  of  this section, the registrant shall annually renew his or
    34  her registration with the county sheriff prior to December  thirty-first
    35  of each subsequent calendar year for a period of five years.
    36    (b)  If  a  person  has  been subsequently convicted of an offense set
    37  forth in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of subdivision two of  this
    38  section,  the  registrant  shall  annually renew his or her registration
    39  with the central registry prior to December thirty-first of each  subse-
    40  quent calendar year for a period of ten years.
    41    7.  The  central  registry shall charge an annual fee of fifty dollars
    42  and a fee of ten dollars each time a registrant registers any change  of
    43  address. The fees shall be paid to the county sheriff by the registrant.
    44    8.  (a)  A  person  required  to  register pursuant to this section is
    45  prohibited from, possessing, adopting, owning, purchasing or  exercising
    46  control over any companion animal for the period such person is required
    47  to  register; provided, however, that the court may allow such person to
    48  possess, adopt, own, purchase or exercise control over a limited  number
    49  of  companion animals where such person is determined to be a hoarder of
    50  companion animals.
    51    (b) All animal shelters and pet  dealers  shall  examine  the  central
    52  registry  to  confirm  that any potential owners are not registrants. No
    53  companion animal shall be sold, exchanged or otherwise transferred to an
    54  animal abuser listed on the registry.
    55    9. (a) An animal abuser who intentionally or knowingly fails to comply
    56  with the registration requirements, or provides false  information  when

        A. 4731                             3

     1  complying  with the registration requirements set forth in this section,
     2  or who violates the provisions of paragraph (a) of subdivision eight  of
     3  this section, is guilty of a felony:
     4    (1)  punishable by imprisonment for a period not to exceed four years,
     5  or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars, or by both  such  fine
     6  and imprisonment for a first offense; and
     7    (2)  punishable by imprisonment for a period not to exceed four years,
     8  or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars, or by  both  such  fine
     9  and imprisonment for subsequent offenses.
    10    (b)  Any  animal  shelter  or pet dealer who violates paragraph (b) of
    11  subdivision eight of this section shall be guilty  of  a  violation  and
    12  subject  to  a  fine  not to exceed one thousand dollars. It shall be an
    13  affirmative defense that the animal shelter or pet dealer  examined  the
    14  central  animal  abuser registry and the name of the person to whom they
    15  sold or transferred a companion animal did not appear thereon.
    16    10. Each county sheriff shall maintain  a  local  registry  of  animal
    17  abusers in the sheriff's jurisdiction.
    18    11.  A  county  sheriff  shall  forward  all  registration information
    19  obtained from animal abusers to the central registry of animal abusers.
    20    12. Registration information contained  in  the  central  registry  of
    21  animal  abusers  shall  be made available to the public through internet
    22  access, telephone access, written access and in person  access.  All  of
    23  the  information  contained  in an animal abuser's registration shall be
    24  made available with  the  exception  of  the  animal  abuser's  driver's
    25  license  number.   Records of each animal abuser's registration shall be
    26  maintained for the duration of the period in which the animal abuser  is
    27  required to be registered pursuant to subdivision six of this section.
    28    13.  No  official, agency, authorized person or entity, whether public
    29  or private, shall be subject to any  civil  or  criminal  liability  for
    30  damages  for any decision or action made in the ordinary course of busi-
    31  ness of that official, agency, authorized  person  or  entity,  provided
    32  that such official, agency, authorized person or entity acted reasonably
    33  and in good faith with respect to such registry information.
    34    14.  The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations as may be
    35  necessary to effectuate the provisions and intent of this section and to
    36  enforce registration, all of which shall have the force  and  effect  of
    37  law.
    38    15. For purposes of this section:
    39    (a)  "Animal  shelter"  means  public  or privately owned organization
    40  including, but not limited to, any  duly  incorporated  humane  society,
    41  pound,  animal protective association or animal rescue group which main-
    42  tains buildings, structures or other property for the purpose of harbor-
    43  ing animals which may be stray, unwanted, lost, abandoned or abused  and
    44  seeks to find appropriate temporary or permanent homes for such animals.
    45    (b)  "Pet  dealer"  shall  have  the  same  meaning as such meaning is
    46  defined in section four hundred of the agriculture and markets law.
    47    16. This section shall be exclusive and shall preempt any local law or
    48  ordinance relating to animal abuser registration.
    49    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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