Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty to the police, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agriculture and markets, or other appropriate government agency and to turn over necessary records.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
621
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 4, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to mandating the report-
ing of suspected animal cruelty by veterinarians
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 2 of section 6714 of
2 the education law, as added by chapter 653 of the laws of 2003, are
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (a) When a veterinarian reasonably and in good faith suspects that a
5 companion animal's injury, illness or condition is the result of animal
6 cruelty or a violation of any state or federal law pertaining to the
7 care, treatment, abuse or neglect of a companion animal, the veterinari-
8 an [may] shall report the incident and disclose records concerning the
9 companion animal's condition and treatment to the police, duly incorpo-
10 rated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer,
11 district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agri-
12 culture and markets, other appropriate government agency, or any agent
13 thereof.
14 (b) When a veterinarian reasonably believes that disclosure of records
15 as defined in this section, is necessary to protect the health or
16 welfare of a companion animal, a person or the public, the veterinarian
17 [may] shall disclose such records to the police, duly incorporated soci-
18 ety for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, animal
19 control officer, department of agriculture and markets, other appropri-
20 ate government agency, or any agent thereof.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
22 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05143-01-7
