STATE OF NEW YORK
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8084--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 15, 2025
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Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, COONEY, HELMING, PALUMBO -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Agriculture -- recommitted to the Committee on Agriculture in accord-
ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab-
lishing an animal abuser registry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 403 of the agriculture and markets law is amended
2 by adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows:
3 12. The applicable license issuer pursuant to the provisions of this
4 section shall run a background check as part of every application and
5 renewal against the animal abuser registry established pursuant to
6 section three hundred fifty-three-g of this chapter and shall not issue
7 or renew a license to an applicant or licensee who is on such registry.
8 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 403 of the agriculture and markets law,
9 as amended by chapter 683 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as
10 follows:
11 3. Each application for a license shall be accompanied by a nonrefund-
12 able fee of one hundred fifty dollars, except that those pet dealers who
13 engage in the sale of less than twenty-five animals in a year.
14 § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 421 of the agriculture and markets law,
15 as added by chapter 683 of the laws of 2022, is amended and a new subdi-
16 vision 8 is added to read as follows:
17 5. Such license shall be renewable annually, upon the payment of a
18 nonrefundable fee of one hundred fifty dollars, except that those animal
19 shelters who adopt out less than twenty-five animals in a year.
20 8. The commissioner shall run a background check as part of every
21 application and renewal against the animal abuser registry established
22 pursuant to section three hundred fifty-three-g of this chapter and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11622-04-6
S. 8084--A 2
1 shall not issue or renew a license to an applicant or licensee who is on
2 such registry.
3 § 4. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
4 section 353-g to read as follows:
5 § 353-g. Animal abuser registry. 1. For purposes of this section, the
6 term "animal abuser" means a person sixteen years of age or older who
7 has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor violation of any provision
8 of this article or of the comparable statutes of another state.
9 2. The New York state division of criminal justice services shall
10 maintain a registry of animal abusers required to register pursuant to
11 the provisions of this section. The central registry of animal abusers
12 shall be made available to the public through internet access, telephone
13 access, written access and in-person access. All of the information
14 contained in an animal abuser's registration shall be made available.
15 Records of each animal abuser's registration shall be maintained for the
16 duration of the period in which the animal abuser is required to be
17 registered.
18 3. (a) A person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor violation of any
19 provision of this article shall register with the department of criminal
20 justice services within ten days of their release from incarceration or
21 on the date of conviction, whichever is later.
22 (b) Any animal abuser who enters the state and physically remains
23 within the boundaries of this state for more than ten consecutive days
24 shall register with the department of criminal justice services before
25 the end of the eleventh day in the state.
26 4. Any previously registered animal abuser shall reregister no later
27 than ten days after moving to a new location within the state.
28 5. When an animal abuser registers, the animal abuser shall provide
29 the following registration information:
30 (a) the legal name and any other names or aliases that the animal
31 abuser is using or has used;
32 (b) the date of birth of the animal abuser;
33 (c) the current address or location of the animal abuser;
34 (d) the animal protection offense for which the animal abuser was
35 convicted, including the date and place of such conviction; and
36 (e) a current photograph of the animal abuser.
37 6. Following an animal abuser's initial registration pursuant to the
38 provisions of this section, an animal abuser shall annually renew the
39 animal abuser's registration with the department of criminal justice
40 services prior to December thirty-first of each subsequent calendar year
41 for a period of seven years from the animal abuser's date of conviction
42 or release from incarceration for the underlying violation of this arti-
43 cle, whichever is later. An animal abuser who is convicted of a subse-
44 quent felony or misdemeanor violation of any provision of this article
45 or of the comparable statutes of another state shall be required to
46 annually renew such animal abuser's registration with the department of
47 criminal justice services prior to December thirty-first of each subse-
48 quent calendar year for the rest of their life.
49 7. An animal abuser who intentionally or knowingly fails to comply
50 with the registration requirements, or provides false information when
51 complying with the registration requirements set forth in this section,
52 is guilty of a class E felony.
53 8. Each county sheriff shall provide links to register with or view
54 the department of criminal justice services' registry of animal abusers
55 on their public website.
S. 8084--A 3
1 9. Within ten days of receiving initial or updated registration
2 information from an animal abuser, the department of criminal justice
3 services shall forward such information to the applicable county sheriff
4 who shall contact every humane society, animal shelter, local society
5 for the prevention of cruelty to animals organization, and any other
6 business within a half mile radius of the animal abuser's residence or
7 location and provide them with the animal abuser's registration informa-
8 tion.
9 10. No person shall sell, exchange, or otherwise transfer ownership of
10 any animal to any person listed on the animal abuser registry estab-
11 lished pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
12 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
13 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
14 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
15 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
16 completed on or before such effective date.
