S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
79
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 7, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sen. GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to limiting
the right of a person who has violated certain animal cruelty statutes
from working at an animal shelter
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 353-a of the agriculture and markets law is amended
by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. NO PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED ON AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, OF A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT
OR REMAIN IN A POSITION AS A DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFI-
CER, OR AS A PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER AT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ESTAB-
LISHMENTS: AN ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY,
DULY INCORPORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VOLUNTEER" SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANYONE REQUIRED
BY COURT ORDER TO FULFILL A COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT IN SERVICE AT
ANY ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY, DULY INCOR-
PORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR
THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. ANY DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL
CONTROL OFFICER OR PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
S 2. Section 353 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by
chapter 458 of the laws of 1985 and the opening paragraph as amended by
chapter 523 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
S 353. Overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide
proper sustenance. 1. A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or
cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any
animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00681-01-5
S. 79 2
another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink,
or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or caus-
es, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded,
tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or
killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully
sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of
cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is
guilty of a class A misdemeanor and for purposes of paragraph (b) of
subdivision one of section 160.10 of the criminal procedure law, shall
be treated as a misdemeanor defined in the penal law.
2. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit or inter-
fere with any properly conducted scientific tests, experiments or inves-
tigations, involving the use of living animals, performed or conducted
in laboratories or institutions, which are approved for these purposes
by the state commissioner of health. The state commissioner of health
shall prescribe the rules under which such approvals shall be granted,
including therein standards regarding the care and treatment of any such
animals. Such rules shall be published and copies thereof conspicuously
posted in each such laboratory or institution. The state commissioner of
health or his duly authorized representative shall have the power to
inspect such laboratories or institutions to insure compliance with such
rules and standards. Each such approval may be revoked at any time for
failure to comply with such rules and in any case the approval shall be
limited to a period not exceeding one year.
3. NO PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED ON AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, OF A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT
OR REMAIN IN A POSITION AS A DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFI-
CER, OR AS A PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER AT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ESTAB-
LISHMENTS: AN ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY,
DULY INCORPORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VOLUNTEER" SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANYONE REQUIRED
BY COURT ORDER TO FULFILL A COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT IN SERVICE AT
ANY ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY, DULY INCOR-
PORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR
THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. ANY DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL
CONTROL OFFICER OR PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
S 3. Section 351 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by
adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. NO PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED ON AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, OF A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT
OR REMAIN IN A POSITION AS A DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFI-
CER, OR AS A PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER AT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ESTAB-
LISHMENTS: AN ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY,
DULY INCORPORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VOLUNTEER" SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANYONE REQUIRED
BY COURT ORDER TO FULFILL A COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT IN SERVICE AT
ANY ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY, DULY INCOR-
PORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR
THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. ANY DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL
CONTROL OFFICER OR PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
S 4. Section 355 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by
chapter 458 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as follows:
S. 79 3
S 355. Abandonment of animals. 1. A person being the owner or posses-
sor, or having charge or custody of an animal, who abandons such animal,
or leaves it to die in a street, road or public place, or who allows
such animal, if it become disabled, to lie in a public street, road or
public place more than three hours after he receives notice that it is
left disabled, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment
for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand
dollars, or by both.
2. NO PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED ON AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, OF A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT
OR REMAIN IN A POSITION AS A DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFI-
CER, OR AS A PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER AT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ESTAB-
LISHMENTS: AN ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY,
DULY INCORPORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VOLUNTEER" SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANYONE REQUIRED
BY COURT ORDER TO FULFILL A COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT IN SERVICE AT
ANY ANIMAL SHELTER, POUND, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY, DULY INCOR-
PORATED ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, OR DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR
THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. ANY DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL
CONTROL OFFICER OR PAID EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS
SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
S 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become a law.
