What's happening
This bill prohibits the hunting, sale, or transfer of animals that are or were part of zoos, petting zoos, carnivals, or circuses.
Why it matters
Aims to stop the exploitation of former zoo, petting zoo, carnival, and circus animals. by making it illegal to hunt, buy, sell, or transfer these animals for purposes where they could be killed, addressing concerns about unethical "canned hunts" or trophy collections.
Targets loopholes in animal transfer and exhibition. by covering both organizations (like zoos and circuses) and individuals, as well as facilities that harbor non-native big game mammals, ensuring animals aren’t funneled into hunting operations after their use in entertainment.
Imposes financial penalties. ($500–$2,000 per violation), introducing a deterrent that may make organizations and individuals think twice before transferring or accepting these animals for hunting or similar purposes.
Allows for stricter local regulations. , meaning cities and towns can adopt even tougher laws if they choose, potentially leading to broader protections for animals at the local level.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Taking Zoo Animals
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
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.
Ban Taking Zoo Animals
In Assembly Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor Deborah Glick
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4289
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2019
Introduced by Sens. LAVALLE, SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the taking of zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 11-1908 to read as follows: § 11-1908. Prohibits the taking of zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus
animals.
1. No person shall take, as defined in subdivision thirteen of section 11-0103 of this article, an animal that such person knows or has reason to know is presently or was formerly a part of a zoo, petting zoo, carnival, or circus.
2. No zoo, petting zoo, carnival, or circus or any person licensed or required to be licensed as an exhibitor under the Animal Welfare Act, 7 USC section 2131 et seq., shall sell, offer for sale, distribute, barter or donate any animal wherein such animal may be intentionally taken.
3. No person who owns, operates, or manages a facility including, but not limited to a facility that harbors non-native big game mammals, or any other facility that permits the taking of animals shall purchase, accept or receive any animal such person knows or has reason to know is presently or was formerly a part of a zoo, petting zoo, carnival, or circus.
4. Violations of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than two thousand dollars.
5. Nothing in this section shall preempt a municipal corporation from enacting more restrictive laws, ordinances or regulations governing animals in zoos, petting zoos, carnivals, or circuses.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05044-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the taking of zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus animals
Purpose
To amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting sport killing of zoo, carnival or circus animals.
Summary of provisions
This bill will amend the environmental conservation law by adding a new section which will prohibit the taking of zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus animals. It also stipulates that no zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus can sell, offer for sale, distribute, barter or donate any animal where the animal may be intentionally taken. Additionally, no person that operates or manages a facility incl uding, but not limited to a facility that harbors non-native big game mammals, or any other facility that permits the taking of animals, shall purchase, accept or receive any animal that such person knows or has reason to know is presently or was formerly a part of a zoo, petting zoo, carnival or circus.
Violations of this law will be punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars and not more than two thousand dollars. Nothing in this section shall preempt a municipal corporation from enacting more restrictive law, ordinances or regulation governing animals in zoos, petting zoos carnivals or circuses.
Justification
This bill seeks to protect animals that have spend a better part of their life in captivity from an inhumane and unnecessarily painful death. Animals coming from zoos, petting zoos, circuses and carnivals have been trained and domesticated making them unfairly easy targets for hunters. Killing the animal once it has served its purpose should not be the answer to ridding the facility of excess animals. Additionally, nothing in this bill should be construed to affect protections afforded to animals in other sections of law.
Legislative history
2017-18 S.2471/A.4186; 2015-16 S.4452A/A.4378A
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
The sixtieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.