What's happening
This bill allows taxpayers to voluntarily donate to a new fund supporting spay and neuter services for rescued animals in New York.
Why it matters
Creates a dedicated fund for spay and neuter services. The bill establishes a “rescued animals spay and neuter fund” to be used exclusively for spaying and neutering rescued animals, which could help reduce overpopulation and improve animal welfare outcomes in the state.
Promotes transparency and accountability. The commissioner of agriculture and markets must submit an annual report detailing how the fund’s money was spent, who received awards, and plans for future allocations. This ensures public oversight and responsible use of donated funds.
Allows for additional funding sources. Besides voluntary taxpayer donations, the fund can receive money from legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, and other sources, potentially increasing the impact and sustainability of spay/neuter programs.
Links to broader animal welfare policy. By referencing section 117-a of the agriculture and markets law, the fund’s use is tied to established policies for controlling animal populations, potentially supporting shelters, rescue groups, and public health initiatives.
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Who cares
Individual and corporate taxpayers
They could make voluntary whole-dollar contributions to the rescued animals spay and neuter fund through their income tax returns without reducing their state tax owed.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
Its commissioner would jointly oversee the fund, approve payment vouchers and report annually on awards, recipients and finances.
Department of Taxation and Finance
It would add contribution spaces to personal and corporate income tax returns and report designated amounts annually to the state comptroller.
State comptroller
The comptroller would share custody of the fund, transfer designated contributions into it and audit and authorize payments.
Headline styles
Fund Spay Neuter Rescued Animals
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Amended on third reading 1656a
- Ordered to third reading cal.81
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.67
- Rules report cal.67
Show 3 earlier actions
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to ways and means
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.
Create Animal Spay Fund
In Senate Committee · Investigations And Government Operations · Sponsor Phil Boyle
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1656--A Cal. No. 81
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 16, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to the rescued animals spay and neuter fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 209-n to read as follows:
§ 209-n. Gift for rescued animals protection. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand twenty, a taxpayer in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the rescued animals spay and neuter fund. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such taxpayer. The commissioner shall include space on the corporate income tax return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the rescued animals spay and neuter fund and shall be used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-five-j of the state finance law.
§ 2. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-h to read as follows:
§ 630-h. Gift for rescued animals protection. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand twenty, an individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the rescued animals spay and neuter fund. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax return to enable an individual to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the rescued animals spay and neuter
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04453-02-0
A. 1656--A 2
fund and shall be used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-five-j of the state finance law.
§ 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-j to read as follows:
§ 95-j. Rescued animals spay and neuter fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of agriculture and markets and the comptroller a special fund to be known as the "rescued animals spay and neuter fund". The commissioner of agriculture and markets shall promulgate any rules and regulations the commissioner deems necessary to implement and regulate such fund.
2. Such fund shall consist of:
a. all revenues received by the department of taxation and finance pursuant to the provisions of sections two hundred nine-n and six hundred thirty-h of the tax law;
b. all revenues received pursuant to appropriation by the legislature; and
c. all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law.
The commissioner of taxation and finance shall report annually to the state comptroller the amounts designated for the fund pursuant to sections two hundred nine-n and six hundred thirty-h of the tax law, who shall transfer that amount to the fund. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund.
3. On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner of agriculture and markets shall provide a written report to the temporary president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and means committee, chair of the senate agriculture committee, chair of the assembly agriculture committee, the state comptroller and the public. Such report shall include how the monies of the fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year, and shall include:
(a) the amount of money dispersed from the fund and the award process used for such disbursements;
(b) recipients of awards from the fund;
(c) the amount awarded to each;
(d) the purposes for which such awards were granted; and
(e) a summary financial plan for such monies which shall include estimates of all receipts and all disbursements for the current and succeeding fiscal years, along with the actual results from the prior fiscal year.
4. Moneys of the fund shall be expended for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of section one hundred seventeen-a of the agriculture and markets law. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers approved by the commissioner of agriculture and markets. Any interest received by the comptroller on moneys on deposit in the animal population control fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.