What's happening
This bill prohibits denying or evicting people aged 60 or over from public housing for having common household pets and requires related regulations.
Why it matters
Protects older adults' housing security. By barring denial or eviction solely for pet ownership, the bill ensures that seniors (age 60+) in public housing don't have to choose between a home and a companion animal, which can be important for emotional well-being and combating loneliness.
Balances pet rights with community standards. The bill requires housing authorities to develop regulations—after consulting with tenants—that address issues like pet size, density, sanitation, and liability for damage. This aims to minimize conflicts and ensure pets don’t negatively impact other residents, while still allowing seniors to keep them.
Creates fair process for pet-related disputes. If a pet is deemed a nuisance or threat, authorities must give written reasons and allow the owner to appeal, protecting tenants from arbitrary or unfair removal of their pets and ensuring due process.
Nullifies restrictive lease clauses. Any lease agreements that try to waive or reduce these new rights for seniors to keep common household pets are rendered void, strengthening tenant protections and ensuring the law can't be undermined by private contracts.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Seniors Keep Their Pets
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6302
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to the keeping of certain household pets by persons sixty years of age or older
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public housing law is amended by adding a new section 223-c to read as follows:
§ 223-c. Discrimination against persons who have certain household pets. 1. No person who is sixty years of age or older shall be denied occupancy in a dwelling in any housing project or be subjected to eviction from any such dwelling on the sole ground that such person has a common household pet which will or does reside with such person therein.
2. All municipal housing authorities shall promulgate regulations for the keeping of common household pets by persons sixty years of age or older who reside in a dwelling in any housing project. Such regulations may include consideration, after consultation with the tenants of such housing project, of other reasonable factors to govern the keeping of common household pets such as density of tenants, pet size, potential financial obligations of tenants, and standards of pet care. Such regulations may include, but not be limited to, requiring all pet owners to comply with:
(a) inoculations and licensing mandated by state and local laws, if applicable;
(b) sanitary standards governing the disposal of pet waste;
(c) pet restraint in common areas;
(d) alternate caretakers in the case of sickness or incapacity of the pet owner;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00020-03-7
A. 6302 2
(e) any financial responsibilities for the reasonable costs directly attributable to any damage caused by the pet, including the cost of repairs and replacements thereto; and
(f) the appeals process for the attempted removal of a pet pursuant to subdivision three of this section.
3. Any pet whose conduct or condition is duly determined to constitute a nuisance or a threat to the health or safety of the other occupants of the same project, or of other persons in the community where such project is located, may be removed by the municipal housing authority, public health officer having jurisdiction, or other appropriate authority of the community where such project is located; provided, however, that prior to the removal of any pet, such municipal housing authority, public health officer having jurisdiction, or other appropriate authority of the community, whichever the case may be, must provide the pet owner with a written statement that sets forth the basis for the removal. The pet owner shall be able to appeal such written findings. For purposes of this section a nuisance means the substantial interference with the health, safety, and comfort of the other tenants of the housing project, or of other persons in the community where such housing project is located.
4. Any agreement by a lessee or tenant waiving or modifying the rights contained in this section for the keeping of common household pets by persons sixty years of age or older shall be void as contrary to public policy.
5. For the purposes of this section, the term "common household pet" shall include, but not be limited to, a dog, cat, bird, or fish.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of June in the year next succeeding the year in which it shall have become a law; provided that any regulations required for the implementation of this act shall be promulgated at least 30 days prior to such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.