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- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Provides that all persons convicted of being spectators at animal fights shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
In Assembly Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Brian Kavanagh
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to penalties for attendance as a spectator at a place where animal fighting is being conducted
Purpose
To increase the penalties for those convicted of violating the prohibition of animal fighting.
Summary of provisions
This bill amends Subdivision 4 of Section 351 to make it a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars for any person to be knowingly present as a spectator where an exhibition of animal fighting is being conducted. This misdemeanor penalty currently only applies to ticket holders or spectators who make a wager.
This bill amends Subdivision 5 of Section 351 to make it a felony punishable by imprisonment not to exceed two years, or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars for any person to be knowingly present as a spectator where an exhibition of animal fighting is being conducted for any person who has been previously convicted of a violation of subdivision four of this section within the preceding five years.
Justification
Currently the law imposes a misdemeanor on spectators at animal fights only if they have paid an admission fee or made a wager. This typically requires the spectator to be in possession of an admission stub at the time of arrest in order to find them guilty of a misdemeanor. Animal fights are rarely formal events, and therefore spectators rarely receive an admission stub or anything of that nature.
This bill would close an unnecessary loophole by making it a misdemeanor for all spectators at an animal fight within the state. Additionally, this bill would make it a felony for all repeat violators of this crime.
Spectators at animal fights are not innocent bystanders-the money generated by admission fees and gambling helps keep this illegal bloodshed going. If you take away the spectators, then you take away the profit. Our laws must be tough enough to stop people from financing the senseless torture of animals.
The Humane Society of the united States ranks New York's dog fighting laws as 46th among the 50 states in the nation in terms of strictness. By enacting this law, New York's animal fighting laws would be brought up to speed with the rest of the nation.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.