STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5709
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 28, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. SKOUFIS, BRISPORT, HARCKHAM, MARTINEZ -- read twice
and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohib-
iting the importing, possession, or sale of any part or product of the
skin or body of a kangaroo for commercial purposes
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 387 to read as follows:
3 § 387. Prohibition of importing, possessing or selling any kangaroo
4 product for commercial purposes. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision
5 of law, it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly import any part
6 or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo, knowingly possess any part
7 or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo with intent to sell, or
8 knowingly sell any part or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo,
9 for commercial purposes, or knowingly attempt to import, possess, or
10 sell any part or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo, for commer-
11 cial purposes.
12 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it shall be unlawful
13 for any person to direct another person to knowingly import any part or
14 product of the skin or body of a kangaroo, knowingly possess any part or
15 product of the skin or body of a kangaroo with intent to sell, or know-
16 ingly sell any part or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo, for
17 commercial purposes, or direct another person to attempt to knowingly
18 import, possess, or sell any part or product of the skin or body of a
19 kangaroo, for commercial purposes.
20 3. A violation of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty
21 of up to one thousand dollars for the first offense and five thousand
22 dollars for any subsequent violation.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05254-01-5
S. 5709 2
1 4. The provisions of this section shall be in addition to, and not in
2 lieu of, any other laws protecting animal welfare. This section shall
3 not be construed to limit any state law or rules protecting the welfare
4 of animals or to prevent a local governing body from adopting and
5 enforcing its own animal welfare laws and regulations. Nothing in this
6 section shall prohibit a person from otherwise lawful disposition of a
7 deceased kangaroo or any part or product of the skin or body of such
8 kangaroo.
9 5. If any provision of this section, or the application thereof to any
10 person or circumstances, is held invalid or unconstitutional, such inva-
11 lidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect other provisions or
12 applications of this section that can be given effect without the inval-
13 id or unconstitutional provision or application, and to such end the
14 provisions of this section shall be severable.
15 6. For purposes of this section:
16 (a) The term "any part or product of the skin or body of a kangaroo"
17 shall include, but not be limited to, the animal's viscera, skin, hide,
18 meat, or bones;
19 (b) The term "person" shall mean an individual, corporation, partner-
20 ship, trust, association, or other legal activity;
21 (c) The term "commercial purposes" shall mean the advancement of a
22 person's economic interests, such as by inducing another person to buy,
23 rent, lease, join, subscribe to, provide, or exchange products, goods,
24 property, information, or services, or enabling or effecting, directly
25 or indirectly, a transaction or other undertaking intended for profit;
26 and
27 (d) The term "kangaroo" shall include any of the following:
28 (i) an osphranter rufus, commonly known as a red kangaroo;
29 (ii) a macropus giganteus, commonly known as an eastern grey kangaroo;
30 (iii) a macropus fuliginosus, commonly known as a western grey kanga-
31 roo; or
32 (iv) an osphranter robustus, commonly known as the common wallaroo.
33 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
34 it shall have become a law.
