Senate Bill S250

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Includes wildlife animals as those subject to the animal cruelty provisions

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Agriculture Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-S250 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1966
Current Committee:
Senate Agriculture
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §353-a, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A6077
2011-2012: A1843
2013-2014: S4347, A238
2015-2016: S1270, A957
2017-2018: S620, A5050
2019-2020: S5801, A663
2021-2022: S2176, A456
2023-2024: S460, A768

2025-S250 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes wildlife animals as those subject to the animal cruelty provisions of the agriculture and markets law.

2025-S250 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S250 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    250
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- 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 aggra-
   vated cruelty to animals

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivisions  1 and 2 of section 353-a of the agriculture
 and markets law, as added by chapter  118  of  the  laws  of  1999,  are
 amended to read as follows:
   1.  A  person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no
 justifiable purpose, [he or she]  SUCH  PERSON  intentionally  kills  or
 intentionally  causes  serious  physical injury to a companion animal OR
 WILDLIFE, AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION SIX OF SECTION 11-0103 OF THE  ENVI-
 RONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW, OTHER THAN INSECTS, with aggravated cruelty.
 For  purposes  of  this section, "aggravated cruelty" shall mean conduct
 which:  (i) is intended to cause extreme physical pain; or (ii) is  done
 or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner.
   2. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or
 interfere  in any way with anyone lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping,
 [or] fishing, OR TAKING as provided in article eleven  of  the  environ-
 mental  conservation  law,  ACTIVITIES  DEEMED  TO BE SOUND AGRICULTURAL
 PRACTICES PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED EIGHT OF  THIS  CHAPTER,  OR
 REASONABLE  ACTIVITIES  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  MANAGING PESTS THAT IS IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND  LOCAL  LAWS  AND  REGULATIONS,  the
 dispatch of rabid or diseased animals, as provided in article twenty-one
 of  the public health law, or the dispatch of animals posing a threat to
 human safety or other animals, where such action  is  otherwise  legally
 authorized,  or any properly conducted scientific tests, experiments, or
 investigations  involving  the  use  of  living  animals,  performed  or
 conducted  in laboratories or institutions approved for such purposes by
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

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