Prohibits a person convicted of "Buster's Law" from owning or possessing a companion animal unless authorized by court order, after appropriate psychiatric or psychological testing.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1044
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, FELDER, MATTERA, O'MARA -- 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 limiting
the ownership or possession of companion animals by persons convicted
of violating "Buster's Law"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 353-a of the agriculture and markets law is amended
2 by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
3 4. On and after the effective date of this subdivision, no person who
4 is convicted of a violation of this section shall own or possess a
5 companion animal unless and until authorized by a court order issued by
6 a county court judge of such convicted person's county of residence. No
7 such order shall be issued until such convicted person first demon-
8 strates to the court that such convicted person has undergone psychiat-
9 ric or psychological testing, the results of which indicate by clear and
10 convincing evidence of such convicted person's capable and sound mental
11 capacity and ability to own and properly care for such an animal in a
12 humane manner.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
14 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02633-02-5
