What's happening
This bill creates an animal abuser registry in New York, requiring convicted felons of animal abuse to register with authorities.
Why it matters
Creates a centralized, publicly accessible registry of convicted animal abusers. , making it easier for individuals, animal shelters, and businesses to identify those with a history of felony animal abuse and potentially prevent them from adopting or working with animals.
Requires animal abusers to regularly update their information and renew registration annually for 15 years. , ensuring ongoing oversight and accountability, rather than a one-time notification.
Mandates proactive community notification. Within ten days of registration, local law enforcement must inform residents, schools, and animal-related organizations within a half-mile of the abuser’s location, increasing public awareness and potentially deterring recidivism.
Imposes felony penalties for failure to register or for providing false information. , creating significant legal consequences for non-compliance and underlining the seriousness of animal abuse offenses.
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Who cares
County sheriffs
They would collect registrations, photographs and fingerprints, maintain local registries, forward information to the state and notify residences, schools, shelters and businesses within a half-mile of registrants.
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
It would maintain a statewide registry accessible online, by telephone, in writing and in person, excluding registrants’ Social Security numbers from public disclosure.
People over eighteen convicted of qualifying felony animal offenses
They would face registration and annual renewal requirements for fifteen years, with intentional or knowing noncompliance or false information constituting a class E felony.
Humane societies and animal shelters
Those within a half-mile of a registrant’s residence or location would receive registration information from the sheriff within ten days of the sheriff receiving the initial registration.
Headline styles
Create Animal Abuser Registry
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to domestic animal welfare
- Referred to domestic animal welfare
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 Abuser Registry
In Assembly Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Deborah Glick
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4288
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2019
Introduced by Sens. LAVALLE, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Domestic Animal Welfare
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to establishing an animal abuser registry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 353-g to read as follows:
§ 353-g. Animal abuser registry. 1. For purposes of this section, the term "animal abuser" means a person over eighteen years of age who has been convicted of a felony violation of any provision of this article or of the comparable statutes of another state.
2. Any animal abuser physically within the boundaries of this state for more than ten consecutive days shall register with the county sheriff for the county in which the animal abuser is located before the end of the eleventh day in the state.
3. Any previously registered animal abuser shall reregister with the county sheriff for the county in which the animal abuser is located no later than ten days after moving to a new location within the state.
4. When an animal abuser registers with the county sheriff, the animal abuser shall provide the following registration information:
(a) the legal name and any other names or aliases that the animal abuser is using or has used;
(b) the date of birth of the animal abuser;
(c) the social security number of the animal abuser;
(d) the current address or location of the animal abuser;
(e) the place of employment of the animal abuser;
(f) the animal protection offense for which the animal abuser was convicted; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05013-01-9
S. 4288 2
(g) the date and place of the animal protection offense conviction of the animal abuser.
5. When an animal abuser registers with a county sheriff, the sheriff shall obtain:
(a) a photograph of the animal abuser and a complete set of the animal abuser's fingerprints; and
(b) a description of any tattoos, scars or other distinguishing features on the animal abuser's body that would assist in identifying the animal abuser.
6. Following an animal abuser's initial registration pursuant to the provisions of this section, an animal abuser shall annually renew the animal abuser's registration with the county sheriff prior to December thirty-first of each subsequent calendar year for a period of fifteen years.
7. An animal abuser who intentionally or knowingly fails to comply with the registration requirements, or provides false information when complying with the registration requirements set forth in this section, is guilty of a class E felony.
8. Each county sheriff shall maintain a local registry of animal abusers in the sheriff's jurisdiction required to register pursuant to this section.
9. The county sheriff shall forward all registration information obtained from animal abusers to the New York state division of criminal justice services.
10. Within ten days of receiving initial registration information from an animal abuser, the county sheriff shall contact every residence, school, humane society, animal shelter and any other business within a half mile radius of the animal abuser's residence or location and provide them with the animal abuser's registration information, with the exception of the animal abuser's social security number.
11. The New York state division of criminal justice services shall maintain a central registry of animal abusers required to register pursuant to the provisions of this section. The central registry of animal abusers shall be made available to the public through internet access, telephone access, written access and in-person access. All of the information contained in an animal abuser's registration, with the exception of the animal abuser's social security number, shall be made available. Records of each animal abuser's registration shall be maintained for the duration of the fifteen year period in which the animal abuser is required to be registered.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 establishing an animal abuser registry
PURPOSE::
To establish a registry of people who have been convicted of a felony violation of animal abuse or of the comparable statutes in another state.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
A new section 353-g is added to the agriculture and markets law which establishes the specifics of an animal abuser registry in New York State for felony violations of animal abuse. The abuser shall register with the county sheriff within 10 days of locating to the county. The abuser shall annually renew their registration for fifteen years. Intentionally or knowingly failing to register or provide false information is a class E felony. The county sheriff shall maintain a local registry and notify every residence, school, humane society, animal shelter and any other business within a half mile radius of the animal abuser's to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). DCJS shall maintain a central registry of animal abusers required to register for the fifteen period in which the animal abusers are required to be regis- tered.
JUSTIFICATION::
This is much needed legislation to combat animal cruelty and abuse and to stop repeat offenders. The thinking behind establishment of animal abuser registered is that it would prevent access to those convicted of animal abuse of adopting or purchasing animals as it would prohibit pet stores and animal shelters from selling pets or allowing them to be adopted by individuals on the animal abuse registry.
For more than a quarter of a century, studies have shown a strong corol- lary between animal abuse and human violence. A survey of pet- owning families where child abuse and neglect occurred, found that animals were also abused in 88% of homes where child physical abuse was present (DeViney, Cidket & Lockwood, 1983). A 1998 study of women seeking shel- ter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets affirmed that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals (Ascione, 1998).
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
2017-18 S.2468/A.3713; 2015-16 S.3147/A.3478; 2011-12 S.2015/A.299
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.