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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2195
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to protection of the public from attack by wild animals
Purpose
To provide a more effective deterrent to those who own, possess or harbor wild animals, the legislation would increase the penalty for such conduct from misdemeanor to felony grade.
Summary of provisions
The bill amends Section 370 of the Agriculture and Markets Law to increase the penalty for owning, possessing or harboring a wild animal which is capable of inflicting bodily harm.
Existing law
The current law proscribes the possession and/or harboring of a wild animal as a misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year of imprisonment.
Justification
Recent cases have demonstrated that the law as it now exists does not serve to deter those who own, possess or harbor wild animals in settings which are entirely inappropriate. More and more, particularly in urban locales, individuals choose to harbor animals such as tigers and alligators within residential premises. These animals pose an obvious danger to the public and especially small children.
Whether it is by local law or the current state enactment found in Section 370 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, the act of simple possession of wild or dangerous animals is punished only to the extent of misdemeanor grade. It appears that little deterrent is provided by the current state of the law to those who are inclined to jeopardize the safety of others in such a reckless manner.
This bill would not change any of the substantive elements of the offenses as outlined in Section 370, but would increase the penalty to a non classified felony, which by definition is punishable as a Penal Law E felony, permitting imprisonment of up to four years.
Legislative history
2007-2008: S.1070 - Referred to Consumer Protection 2005-2006: S.474 - Third Reading/Consumer Protection 2004: S.6242 - Third Reading
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.