Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty to the police, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agriculture and markets, or other appropriate government agency and to turn over necessary records.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1170
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to
mandating the reporting of suspected animal cruelty by veterinarians
PURPOSE:
This bill adopts the gold standard in prevention of animal abuse by
mandating that veterinarians report suspected abuse to authorities.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends Paragraphs a and b of subdivision 2 of section 6714
of the education law, as added by chapter 653 of the laws of 2003.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Frequently cases of animal abuse go unaddressed because they are not
brought to the attention of authorities. In some instances, a veterina-
rian treating an abused or neglected animal might be the only person who
witnesses the results of the abuse or neglect.
If a veterinarian reasonably and in good faith suspects that a companion
animal's injury, illness or condition is the result of animal cruelty,
the veterinarian should be required to report the incident and disclose
records concerning the companion animal's condition and treatment to the
police or other appropriate government agency or any agent thereof.
This legislation changes the current law which "allows" veterinarians to
report and disclose records of suspected abuse, to "requiring" veterina-
rians to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect.
Veterinarians are medical professionals with a duty to care and protect
animals. When, in their professional judgment, they suspect cases of
abuse or neglect, they should be required to report it.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2017-18: A.4904 - Referred to Higher Education; S.621 - Referred to
Higher Education
2015-16: A.9346 - Referred to Higher Education; S.6659 - Referred to
Higher Education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1170
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to mandating the report-
ing of suspected animal cruelty by veterinarians
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 2 of section 6714 of
2 the education law, as added by chapter 653 of the laws of 2003, are
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (a) When a veterinarian reasonably and in good faith suspects that a
5 companion animal's injury, illness or condition is the result of animal
6 cruelty or a violation of any state or federal law pertaining to the
7 care, treatment, abuse or neglect of a companion animal, the veterinari-
8 an [may] shall report the incident and disclose records concerning the
9 companion animal's condition and treatment to the police, duly incorpo-
10 rated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer,
11 district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agri-
12 culture and markets, other appropriate government agency, or any agent
13 thereof.
14 (b) When a veterinarian reasonably believes that disclosure of records
15 as defined in this section, is necessary to protect the health or
16 welfare of a companion animal, a person or the public, the veterinarian
17 [may] shall disclose such records to the police, duly incorporated soci-
18 ety for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, animal
19 control officer, department of agriculture and markets, other appropri-
20 ate government agency, or any agent thereof.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
22 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03390-01-9
