NY State Senate Bill 2017-S144

Senate Bill S144

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring the commissioner of agriculture and markets to establish licensing and educational standards for individuals providing canine training for non-service and non-police dogs

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Archive: Last 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to agriculture
Jan 04, 2017	referred to agriculture

co-Sponsors

2017-S144 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6735
Current Committee:: Senate Agriculture
Law Section:: Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:: Add §113-a, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S8219
2019-2020: S7066, A1880
2021-2022: S1148, A6107
2023-2024: A2826

2017-S144 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to requiring the commissioner to establish licensing and educational standards for individuals providing canine training for non-service and non-police dogs.

2017-S144 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S144

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
requiring the commissioner of agriculture and markets to establish
licensing and educational standards for individuals providing canine
training for non-service and non-police dogs

 PURPOSE :

To license individuals and corporate entities who provide training to
domestic companion dogs in New York State.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section
113-a as described in the bill.

 JUSTIFICATION :

New York currently has no provisions in law to require the licensing
and regulation of businesses that provide dog obedience training. This
leaves pet owners, as consumers of these services, with little or no
information about the legitimacy of any person or entity that chooses
to call themselves a dog training expert.

In December of 2016, an Oceanside, New York dog training facility was
the focus of an investigation after several claims of animal abuse.
An employee of the facility was videotaped repeatedly poking a stick
at a caged dog. Other reports of dogs, including young puppies, being
wounded, beaten and mistreated at the same "school" are also being
investigated. The owner of the school, in a written communication to a
local newspaper, defended his actions by asking "Why is it abuse to
hit a dog?"

In the absence of any professional standards, unscrupulous individuals
can mislead unsuspecting dog owners, resulting in a lack of any real
training, or worse, permanent damage and/or abuse of the animal. This
bill will ensure that streamlined, consistent licensing practices are
put into place, while denying licensing to anyone previously convicted
of abusing an animal.

In addition to police officers, constables and peace officers, the
bill also allows for enforcement by professionals who specialize in
detecting animal abuse, including animal control officers, and
officers and agents of an incorporated society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals (SPCA).

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.8219 of 2016

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S144 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    144
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. KAMINSKY -- 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  requir-
   ing the commissioner of agriculture and markets to establish licensing
   and  educational  standards  for individuals providing canine training
   for non-service and non-police dogs
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
 section 113-a to read as follows:
   § 113-A. OBEDIENCE TRAINING. 1. THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  BY  RULE  OR
 REGULATION ESTABLISH LICENSING AND EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS
 PROVIDING BASIC OBEDIENCE COURSES TO NON-SERVICE AND NON-POLICE DOGS AND
 THEIR OWNERS.
   2.  THIS  SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY DOG THAT FALLS UNDER SUBDIVI-
 SION NINE, EIGHTEEN, TWENTY, TWENTY-ONE, TWENTY-TWO, TWENTY-FIVE,  TWEN-
 TY-SIX OR TWENTY-SEVEN OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED EIGHT OF THIS ARTICLE.
   3.  NO PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED
 FIFTY-ONE, THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE,  THREE  HUNDRED  FIFTY-THREE-A  OR
 THREE  HUNDRED  FIFTY-FIVE  OF ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER MAY BE
 LICENSED TO PROVIDE OBEDIENCE TRAINING SERVICES UNDER THIS SECTION.
   4. LICENSEES UNDER THIS SECTION ARE TO MAINTAIN PRACTICES AND  FACILI-
 TIES  IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANIMAL CONTROL PROVISIONS UNDER ARTICLES SEVEN,
 TWENTY-FIVE-B AND TWENTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER  AND  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  THE
 ENFORCEMENT  OF SUCH PROVISIONS, BY ANY CONSTABLE, POLICE OFFICER, PEACE
 OFFICER, DOG CONTROL OFFICER, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, OR ANY OFFICER  OR
 AGENT  OF ANY DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO
 ANIMALS AS AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS CHAPTER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD06045-01-7

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Senate Bill S144

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Sponsored By

Todd Kaminsky