S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10399
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 4, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to  prohib-
   iting  the  operation of establishments where animals and/or fowls are
   slaughtered and butchered for food
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.    Legislative  intent.  The legislature hereby finds that
 emergency measures must be enacted to help prevent the spread of zoonot-
 ic and other infectious diseases.  Experts  throughout  the  world  have
 concluded  that  the  COVID-19  crisis  is likely attributable to a live
 animal market.  Inspection reports from the  department  of  agriculture
 and  markets indicate ongoing health, safety and welfare problems at New
 York's markets. Hundreds of thousands of human lives have  already  been
 lost  and  millions  of  people  have  been sickened during the COVID-19
 pandemic. The purpose of this law is to eliminate one  potential  vector
 for  the transmission of zoonotic diseases, live animal markets, and the
 suffering it causes therefrom at least until there is  further  examina-
 tion  by  infectious  disease  experts  of  the  nexus  between zoonotic
 diseases and live animal markets.
   § 2. The agriculture and markets  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 96-ee to read as follows:
   §  96-EE. PROHIBITION OF THE OPERATION OF ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE ANIMALS
 AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED FOR FOOD. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY  PROVISION
 OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY:
   (A)  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL NOT LICENSE ANY PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP
 OR CORPORATION TO OPERATE  ANY  PLACE  OR  ESTABLISHMENT  WHERE  ANIMALS
 AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR FOOD;
   (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  IMMEDIATELY  SUSPEND THE LICENSE OF ANY
 PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATION THAT CURRENTLY HOLDS A  LICENSE
 ISSUED  BY  THE COMMISSIONER TO OPERATE ANY PLACE OR ESTABLISHMENT WHERE
 ANIMALS AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR FOOD; AND
   (C) NO PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATION THAT CURRENTLY HOLDS A
 LICENSE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO OPERATE ANY PLACE OR ESTABLISHMENT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16181-03-0

 A. 10399                            2
 
 WHERE ANIMALS AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR  FOOD  SHALL
 OPERATE SUCH ESTABLISHMENT AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   2. (A) A TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS AND ANIMAL WELFARE CONCERNS
 OF  SLAUGHTERHOUSES IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED. SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL CONDUCT
 AND COMPLETE A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF FACILITIES HERETOFORE LICENSED BY
 THE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS ARTICLE AND THEIR EFFECT ON PUBLIC HEALTH  AND
 SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE.
   (B) SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF SEVEN MEMBERS, TO BE APPOINTED AS
 FOLLOWS:  ONE  MEMBER TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; TWO MEMBERS TO BE
 APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; TWO  MEMBERS  TO  BE
 APPOINTED  BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; ONE MEMBER TO BE APPOINTED BY
 THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; AND ONE MEMBER TO BE  APPOINTED
 BY  THE  COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE. APPOINTEES SHALL
 HAVE EXPERTISE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND, IN PARTICULAR, THE POTENTIAL
 SPREAD OF DISEASES BETWEEN ANIMALS RAISED OR SLAUGHTERED  FOR  FOOD  AND
 HUMANS.  AT  LEAST ONE SUCH REPRESENTATIVE SHALL BE FROM A DULY INCORPO-
 RATED ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION, AND AT LEAST ONE SUCH  REPRESENTATIVE
 SHALL  BE  A  LICENSED  VETERINARIAN WHO IS NOT EMPLOYED BY A GOVERNMENT
 AGENCY.
   (C) NO MEMBER, OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE  OF  SUCH  TASK  FORCE  SHALL  BE
 DISQUALIFIED  FROM  HOLDING  ANY  OTHER PUBLIC OFFICE OR EMPLOYMENT, NOR
 SHALL HE OR SHE FORFEIT ANY SUCH OFFICE OR EMPLOYMENT BY REASON  OF  HIS
 OR  HER  APPOINTMENT  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION,  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE
 PROVISIONS OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE OR CITY CHAR-
 TER.
   (D) THE MEMBERS OF SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL RECEIVE NO  COMPENSATION  FOR
 THEIR SERVICES, BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES
 INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   (E)  SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL MAKE A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS TO THE GOVER-
 NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE  SENATE,  AND  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE
 ASSEMBLY  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR OF THE DATE OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TASK
 FORCE, WHICH SHALL TAKE PLACE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE  APPOINTMENT  OF
 THE  TASK  FORCE  REPRESENTATIVES. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS FOR FURTHER ACTION AND LEGISLATION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.