What's happening
This bill requires New York State to create and maintain a database of people convicted of animal cruelty, fighting, neglect, abandonment, or mistreatment.
Why it matters
Makes it easier to identify repeat offenders. Law enforcement, humane societies, and animal control officers will have access to a centralized tool that allows them to track individuals with prior animal cruelty convictions across New York State, potentially preventing future incidents.
Links animal cruelty to broader public safety concerns. The legislative findings highlight research connecting animal cruelty with other forms of violence (such as child, spouse, and elder abuse), suggesting this database could help authorities identify individuals at risk of committing other serious offenses.
Covers plea deals and related offenses. The database includes not just direct convictions, but also cases where a plea to a different charge was entered to satisfy an original animal cruelty charge, ensuring that offenders are still tracked even if their crimes are prosecuted under a different legal label.
Supports both state and local efforts. The bill specifically allows municipalities to create or maintain their own animal abuse registries, so local initiatives won’t be overridden but can be complemented by the state-level database, promoting broader collaboration and information sharing.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Track Animal Cruelty Convictions
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Track Animal Cruelty Convictions
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2558
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the creation of an animal cruelty and animal fighting database
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings. Studies in psychology, sociology and criminology have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recognized this connection since the 1970s when its analysis of the lives of serial killers suggested that most had killed or tortured animals during their life. Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of more common forms of violence, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse, leading the American Psychiatric Association to consider animal cruelty as one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder.
§ 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 837-t to read as follows:
§ 837-t. Animal cruelty database. 1. The division shall establish and maintain a crime database of all convictions in New York state of animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment, and mistreatment of animals as set forth in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law and the penal law where data of such crimes shall be collected and displayed in a manner that facilitates analysis and the protection of animals. For the purpose of this section, convictions shall also include pleas to a charge other than animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment, and mistreatment of animals as set forth in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law and the penal law in satisfaction of the animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment or other
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01711-01-7
S. 2558 2
animal mistreatment charge or where the animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment or other animal mistreatment charge has not resulted in a dismissal on the merits.
2. Such crime database shall include, but not be limited to, names and ages of persons eighteen years of age or older who have been convicted of animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment and other laws pertaining to the mistreatment of animals as set forth in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law and the penal law, the specific acts of animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment or the mistreatment of animals that were the basis of the conviction, the date or dates the acts took place, and the county where such acts took place.
3. The crime database shall be in print and in electronic form and shall be available to all law enforcement entities, district attorneys, duly incorporated humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, dog and cat protective associations and animal control officers.
4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or restrict municipalities from enacting or enforcing local laws, rules, regulations or ordinances establishing and maintaining an animal abuse registry or database or other means of tracking or identifying persons charged with violating animal abuse laws.
§ 3. This act shall take effect twelve months after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the division of criminal justice services shall promulgate rules and regulations as it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the creation of an animal cruelty and animal fighting database
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to require the establishment and maintenance of a database for the collection and analysis of information relating to crimes against animals. The information contained in this database would be available to various law enforcement and humanitarian agencies.
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill, which is the Legislative findings, explains how studies have demonstrated that violent offenders often have histories of repeated animal cruelty.
Section two of the bill amends the Executive Law by adding section 837-s. This new section directs the Division of Criminal Justice Services to establish the Animal Cruelty Database and prescribes certain information that shall be included in the database.
Section three of the bill provides that this act shall take effect twelve months after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the division of criminal justice services shall promulgate rules and regulations as it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, on or before such effective date.
Justification
Since the 1970s, the FBI has linked the repeated instance of animal killing and torture with its-analysis of the lives of serial killers. Studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology have further demonstrated that violent offenders often have childhood and adolescent histories of repeated and serious animal abuse. Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among the perpetrators of other forms of violence such as child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse. Because the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder, creating a database to analyses the incidence of animal cruelty will provide a valuable resource for law enforcement officials who seek to establish a link between animal cruelty and related crimes.
Legislative history
2016; S.6812 - Referred to Agriculture
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect twelve months after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the division of criminal justice services shall promulgate rules and regulations as it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, on or before such effective date.
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