Add §837-aa, ren §§837-w & 837-x to be §§837-y & 837-z, Exec L
Relates to the creation of a crime database of all convictions in New York state of animal cruelty, fighting, neglect, abandonment and mistreatment; makes such crime database available to all law enforcement entities, district attorneys, duly incorporated humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, dog or cat protective associations and animal control officers.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A665
SPONSOR: Rosenthal (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the creation of an
animal cruelty and animal fighting database
PURPOSE:
This bill will require the establishment and maintenance of a database
for the collection and analysis of information relating to crimes
against animals. The information contained in this database would be
available to various law enforcement and humanitarian agencies.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one identifies the legislative intent and findings.
Section two amends the executive law by adding section 837-t. Section
three sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Since the 1970s, the FBI has linked the repeated instance of animal
killing and torture with its-analysis of the lives of serial killers.
Studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology have further demon-
strated that violent offenders often have childhood and adolescent
histories of repeated and serious animal abuse. Other research has shown
consistent patterns of animal cruelty among the perpetrators of other
forms of violence such as child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse.
Because the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty
one of the diagnostic criteria of conduct disorder, creating a database
to analyses the incidence of animal cruelty will provide a valuable
resource for law enforcement officials who seek to establish a link
between animal cruelty and related crimes:
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.399 - Referred to Agriculture
2021-22: A.1549 - Referred to Agriculture; S.5156 - Referred to Codes
2019-20: A.1090 - Reported to Codes; 5.2602 - Referred to Domestic
Animal Welfare
2017-18: A.317 - Reported to Codes; S.2558 - Referred to Finance
2015-16: A.343 - Reported to Codes; S.6812 - Referred to Finance
2013-14: A.239-A - Reported to Codes
2011-12: A.1766-A - Reported to Codes
2009-10: A.6684-A - Reported to Codes; S.8433 - Referred to Rules
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect twelve months after it shall have become a
law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
665
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, LUPARDO, DINOWITZ, COLTON, HEVESI,
BENEDETTO, OTIS, STIRPE, HUNTER, SIMON, SEAWRIGHT, STERN, SIMONE,
SLATER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, GLICK, McDONOUGH --
read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the creation of an
animal cruelty and animal fighting database
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. Studies in psychology, sociology and
2 criminology have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have
3 childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruel-
4 ty. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recognized this connection
5 since the 1970s when its analysis of the lives of serial killers
6 suggested that most had killed or tortured animals during their life.
7 Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among
8 perpetrators of more common forms of violence, including child abuse,
9 spousal abuse, and elder abuse, leading the American Psychiatric Associ-
10 ation to consider animal cruelty as one of the diagnostic criteria of
11 conduct disorder.
12 § 2. Section 837-w of the executive law, as added by chapter 706 of
13 the laws of 2022, is renumbered section 837-y, section 837-x of the
14 executive law, as amended by chapter 101 of the laws of 2024, is renum-
15 bered section 837-z and a new section 837-aa is added to read as
16 follows:
17 § 837-aa. Animal cruelty database. 1. The division shall establish
18 and maintain a crime database of all convictions in New York state of
19 animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment, and
20 mistreatment of animals as set forth in article twenty-six of the agri-
21 culture and markets law and the penal law where data of such crimes
22 shall be collected and displayed in a manner that facilitates analysis
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02594-01-5
A. 665 2
1 and the protection of animals. For the purpose of this section,
2 convictions shall also include pleas to a charge other than animal
3 cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment, and
4 mistreatment of animals as set forth in article twenty-six of the agri-
5 culture and markets law and the penal law in satisfaction of the animal
6 cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment or other
7 animal mistreatment charge or where the animal cruelty, animal fighting,
8 animal neglect, animal abandonment or other animal mistreatment charge
9 has not resulted in a dismissal on the merits.
10 2. Such crime database shall include, but not be limited to, names and
11 ages of persons eighteen years of age or older who have been convicted
12 of animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect, animal abandonment
13 and other laws pertaining to the mistreatment of animals as set forth in
14 article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law and the penal law,
15 the specific acts of animal cruelty, animal fighting, animal neglect,
16 animal abandonment or the mistreatment of animals that were the basis of
17 the conviction, the date or dates the acts took place, and the county
18 where such acts took place.
19 3. The crime database shall be in print and in electronic form and
20 shall be available to all law enforcement entities, district attorneys,
21 duly incorporated humane societies, societies for the prevention of
22 cruelty to animals, dog and cat protective associations and animal
23 control officers.
24 4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or restrict
25 municipalities from enacting or enforcing local laws, rules, regulations
26 or ordinances establishing and maintaining an animal abuse registry or
27 database or other means of tracking or identifying persons charged with
28 violating animal abuse laws.
29 § 3. This act shall take effect twelve months after it shall have
30 become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
31 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
32 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
33 on or before such effective date.
