Require Cameras in Slaughterhouses

Section 1. Section 96-a of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by chapter 573 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:

§ 96-a. Declaration of policy and purpose. Whereas unsanitary conditions in the slaughtering of animals and fowl for food have been found to exist in this state, and whereas such conditions endanger the health and welfare of the people and animals and fowl of the state, it is hereby declared to be a matter of legislative determination that the supervision of the slaughtering of animals and fowl is in the public interest, and that this article is enacted in the exercise of the police power of the state and its purposes are the protection of the public health.

§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 96-b of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by chapter 395 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:

1. No person, firm, partnership or corporation not granted inspection pursuant to the federal meat inspection act, the federal poultry products inspection act, article five-B or article five-D of this chapter shall operate any place or establishment where animals or fowls are slaughtered or butchered for food unless such person, firm, partnership or corporation be licensed by the commissioner. In addition to any other requirements established by the commissioner, such license shall prohibit the slaughter or butchering by slaughterhouses of domesticated dog and domesticated cat to create food, meat, meat by-products or meat food products for human or animal consumption. Such license shall require any person, firm, partnership, or corporation that has a license pursuant to this article to install and operate a closed circuit camera and

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD10902-03-9

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television system in all areas where live animals are present. Such cameras shall be placed to ensure there is a complete and clear view of all areas containing live animals. The commissioner and his or her designees, the police and other law enforcement officers authorized to enforce article twenty-six of this chapter or other laws pertaining to the humane treatment of animals, cruelty to animals, or endangering the life or health of animals, shall have unrestricted access to the footage from such closed circuit camera and television systems. Recordings for each day shall be retained by the licensee for at least six months before it can be deleted. An application for license shall be made upon a form prescribed by the commissioner on or before the first day of May in every other year, for a two year license period commencing upon the following first day of June. With the application there shall be paid a license fee of two hundred dollars.

§ 3. The opening paragraph of section 96-b of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by section 2 of part I-1 of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:

No person, firm, partnership or corporation not granted inspection pursuant to the federal meat inspection act, the federal poultry products inspection act, article five-B or article five-D of this chapter shall operate any place or establishment where animals or fowls are slaughtered or butchered for food unless such person, firm, partnership or corporation be licensed by the commissioner. In addition to any other requirements established by the commissioner, such license shall prohibit the slaughter or butchering by slaughterhouses of domesticated dog and domesticated cat to create food, meat, meat by-products or meat food products for human or animal consumption. Such license shall require any person, firm, partnership, or corporation that has a license pursuant to this article to install and operate a closed circuit camera and television system in all areas where live animals are present. Such cameras shall be placed to ensure there is a complete and clear view of all areas containing live animals. The commissioner and his or her designees, the police and other law enforcement officers authorized to enforce article twenty-six of this chapter or other laws pertaining to the humane treatment of animals, cruelty to animals, or endangering the life or health of animals, shall have unrestricted access to the footage from such closed circuit camera and television systems. Recordings for each day shall be retained by the licensee for at least six months before it can be deleted. An application for license shall be made upon a form prescribed by the commissioner on or before the first day of May in every other year, for a two year license period commencing upon the following first day of June. With the application there shall be paid a license fee of two hundred dollars.

§ 4. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 96-f-1 to read as follows:

§ 96-f-1. Mandatory reporting pursuant to inspection. Any authorized person conducting an inspection of a slaughterhouse or reviewing closed circuit camera footage as specified in section ninety-six-b of this article shall, upon belief that article twenty-six of this chapter or any other law pertaining to the humane treatment of animals, cruelty to animals, or endangering the life or health of animals have been violated, report the suspected violation to the local police department and local society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or other law enforcement officers authorized to enforce such laws. Oral reports shall be followed by a written report within forty-eight hours of such oral report, or as soon as is reasonably possible.

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§ 5. This act shall take effect two years after it shall have become a law, provided that the amendments to subdivision 1 of section 96-b of the agriculture and markets law made by section two of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to section 3 of chapter 395 of the laws of 2008, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect. 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 six months prior to such effective date.