What's happening
This bill recognizes animals as sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and fear, and treats them as victims in animal cruelty cases.
Why it matters
Recognizing animals as sentient beings. establishes a clear legal standard that they can experience pain, stress, and fear, which could influence how courts, law enforcement, and the public perceive animal welfare cases.
Treating animals as victims in cruelty cases. may result in more robust legal protections and potentially harsher penalties for perpetrators, as the law will recognize the direct harm to an animal rather than treating cruelty as merely a property or regulatory violation.
Shifting policy toward humane treatment. signals a broader cultural and legal change, potentially impacting not only criminal justice outcomes but also how animal-related businesses, shelters, and individuals must act to avoid liability.
Immediate effect of the law. means that any ongoing or future animal cruelty investigations and prosecutions would need to consider animals as victims right away, potentially affecting current legal proceedings and enforcement actions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Recognize Animals as Sentient
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
107
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to establishing animals as sentient beings
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 386 to read as follows:
§ 386. Animals as sentient beings. The Legislature finds and declares that animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, stress, and fear. It is the policy of New York that, in order to protect animals from experiencing pain, stress, or fear at human hands, animals are to be treated humanely. For that reason, animals shall be considered the victims of animal cruelty crimes and shall be treated as such in a court of law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00662-01-5
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.