What's happening
This bill requires all dog owners in New York to microchip their dogs and establishes a statewide registry of dogs.
Why it matters
Creates a centralized, 24/7-accessible statewide registry of all licensed dogs. this could improve the ability to identify lost or stray dogs, reunite pets with owners, and track ownership changes more reliably.
Mandates that all dogs be microchipped by four months of age, with chips containing owner and dog information. this may help deter theft, reduce fraudulent identification, and support more efficient pet recovery and animal welfare enforcement.
Places responsibility on owners to keep their contact and dog information up-to-date in the registry. this could lead to more accurate records, but also imposes an ongoing administrative duty on pet owners.
Establishes legal penalties for failing to microchip dogs. making non-compliance a punishable violation may result in increased compliance but could also create new enforcement burdens or financial impacts for some owners.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Microchip All Dogs, Statewide Registry
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4938
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 3, 2017
Introduced by Sens. DIAZ, HAMILTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the microchipping of dogs and the creation of a registry of dogs
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 109 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by section 4 of part T of chapter 59 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
(c) The application shall state the sex, actual or approximate age, breed, color, and municipal identification number of the dog, and other identification marks, if any, and the name, address, telephone number, county and town, city or village of residence of the owner and such information shall be transmitted to the registry of dogs pursuant to section one hundred twelve-b of this article. Municipalities may also require additional information on such application as deemed appropriate.
§ 2. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding two new sections 112-a and 112-b to read as follows:
§ 112-a. Microchipping of dogs. 1. Any person who owns a dog shall ensure that by the age of four months such dog is implanted with a special computer chip designed to hold information relating to identification of the owner or custodian of such dog, contact information and such dog's description and breed and any other information required pursuant to section one hundred nine of this article. Such information shall be transmitted into the state registry of dogs and shall be compatible with a microchip scanner operated by the commissioner pursuant to section one hundred twelve-b of this article.
2. Whenever any dog is licensed pursuant to section one hundred twelve of this article, such licensing contact information shall be transmitted
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07181-01-7
S. 4938 2
to the registry of dogs and placed on the microchip in a method established by the commissioner.
§ 112-b. Registry of dogs. 1. The commissioner shall establish a state registry which shall contain identification information relating to all animals licensed pursuant to sections one hundred nine, one hundred twelve and one hundred twelve-a of this article.
2. Such registry shall be available twenty-four hours a day and shall be similar to any national registry in existence. A microchip scanner shall be used to detect the identification number kept on the chip.
3. It shall be the responsibility of the owner or custodian of such dog to change with the registry any identification information relating to such owner or custodian.
§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 118 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by section 14 of part T of chapter 59 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
1. It shall be a violation, punishable as provided in subdivision two of this section, for:
(a) any owner to fail to license any dog;
(b) any owner to fail to have any dog identified as required by this article;
(c) any person to knowingly affix to any dog any false or improper identification tag, special identification tag for identifying guide, service or hearing dogs or purebred license tag;
(d) any owner or custodian of any dog to fail to confine, restrain or present such dog for any lawful purpose pursuant to this article;
(e) any person to furnish any false or misleading information on any form required to be filed with any municipality pursuant to the provisions of this article or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto;
(f) the owner or custodian of any dog to fail to exercise due diligence in handling his or her dog if the handling results in harm to another dog that is a guide, hearing or service dog;
(g) any owner of a dog to fail to notify the municipality in which his or her dog is licensed of any change of ownership or address as required by section one hundred twelve of this article;
(h) the owner or custodian of any dog to fail to microchip such dog.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed 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 agriculture and markets law, in relation to the microchipping of dogs and the creation of a registry of dogs
Purpose or general idea of bill
Requires that by the age of four months any person who owns a dog shall implant such dog with a microchip. Creates a state registry to maintain contact information.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends Section 109 (1) (c) of the Agriculture and Markets Law. Requires information that contains specific identifiable features to be transmitted to the registry on dogs.
Section 2. Amends the Agriculture and Markets Law by adding two new sections 112-a and 112-b. Requires dog owners, by the time such dog is four months of age, to implant a microchip that includes the owner's contact information and the dog's medical history. Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to establish a state registry of all animals licensed pursuant to this article. Provides that such registry shall be available twenty-four hours a day.
Section 3. Amends the Agriculture and Markets Law, Section 118 (1). Establishes a violation for any owner or custodian of a dog who fails to implant a microchip in such dog.
Section 4. Effective Date
Existing law
None
Justification
Micro-chipping is a relatively inexpensive and harmless procedure that would provide a safety net for dog owners in case of loss or theft of dog. At the time of mandatory licensing, the dog's information and micro-chip number will be added to a newly created registry which will be available twenty-four hours a day.
Prior legislative history
2016: S.167 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE 2016: S.167 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE 2014: S.342 - Referred to Agriculture/A.3611 -Referred to Agriculture 2013: S.342 - Referred to Agriculture/A.3611 -Referred to Agriculture 2012: S.62 - Referred to Agriculture/ A.2882- Referred to Agriculture 2011: S.62 - Defeated in Agriculture/A.2882 -Referred to Agriculture 2010: S.2211 - Referred to Agriculture/A.11070- Referred to Agriculture 2009: S.2211 - Referred to Agriculture/A.255 - Enacting Clause Stricken/A.11070 - Referred to Agriculture 2007-08: A.1677 - Referred to Agriculture 2006: A.9775 Held for Consideration in Agriculture
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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