| Date of Action |
Assembly Actions -
Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE |
|---|---|
| Feb 03, 2016 |
referred to higher education |
Senate Bill S6659
2015-2016 Legislative Session
Sponsored By
(R) Senate District
Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee
Actions
2015-S6659 (ACTIVE) - Details
2015-S6659 (ACTIVE) - Summary
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.
2015-S6659 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S6659
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the education law, in relation to
mandating the reporting of suspected animal cruelty by veterinarians
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
This legislation would adopt the gold standard in prevention of animal
abuse by mandating that veterinarians report suspected abuse to
authorities.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section 1. Amends paragraphs a and b of subdivision 2 of section 6714
of the education law by requiring that veterinarians who suspect
animal abuse report and disclose records to authorities.
Section 2. Effective date.
JUSTIFICATION :
Frequently cases of animal abuse go unaddressed because they are not
brought to the attention of authorities. In some instances, a
veterinarian treating an abused or neglected animal might be the only
person who witnesses the results of the abuse or neglect.
2015-S6659 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6659
I N S E N A T E
February 3, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed 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:
Section 1. Paragraphs a and b of subdivision 2 of section 6714 of the
education law, as added by chapter 653 of the laws of 2003, are amended
to read as follows:
(a) When a veterinarian reasonably and in good faith suspects that a
companion animal's injury, illness or condition is the result of animal
cruelty or a violation of any state or federal law pertaining to the
care, treatment, abuse or neglect of a companion animal, the veterinari-
an [may]SHALL report the incident and disclose records concerning the
companion animal's condition and treatment to the police, duly incorpo-
rated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer,
district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agri-
culture and markets, other appropriate government agency, or any agent
thereof.
(b) When a veterinarian reasonably believes that disclosure of records
as defined in this section, is necessary to protect the health or
welfare of a companion animal, a person or the public, the veterinarian
[may]SHALL disclose such records to the police, duly incorporated socie-
ty for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, animal
control officer, department of agriculture and markets, other appropri-
ate government agency, or any agent thereof.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13120-01-5
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