assembly Bill A5542

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Prohibits the issuance of permits authorizing the use of wild animals in circuses or traveling animal acts

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor Calendar
    • Passed Senate
    • Passed Assembly
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed/Vetoed by Governor

Your Voice

do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

view actions (4)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022 ordered to third reading cal.179
Apr 29, 2021 advanced to third reading cal.256
Apr 27, 2021 reported
Feb 19, 2021 referred to environmental conservation

Co-Sponsors

view additional co-sponsors

Multi-Sponsors

A5542 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S4840
Law Section:
Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:
Add §11-0541, En Con L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: A8157, S7718
2019-2020: A3673, S5408
2023-2024: A4005, S4363

A5542 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the issuance of permits authorizing the use of wild animals in circuses or traveling animal acts; excepts a wildlife sanctuary and a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

A5542 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5542
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, L. ROSENTHAL, GLICK, COLTON, GOTT-
   FRIED, SCHMITT, HEVESI, EPSTEIN, LAVINE, PAULIN, QUART --  Multi-Spon-
   sored by -- M. of A.  SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
   prohibiting the issuance  of  permits  authorizing  the  use  of  wild
   animals in circuses or traveling animal acts
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
 new section 11-0541 to read as follows:
 § 11-0541. PROHIBITION ON THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AUTHORIZING THE USE OF
              WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES OR TRAVELING ANIMAL ACTS.
   1.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT ISSUE A PERMIT OR LICENSE, INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO, AN EDUCATION OR EXHIBITION PERMIT OR  AN  ENDANGERED  OR
 THREATENED  SPECIES LICENSE, AUTHORIZING THE EXHIBITION OF A WILD ANIMAL
 IN A CIRCUS NOTWITHSTANDING A VALID UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL-
 TURE LICENSE, OR A TRAVELING ANIMAL ACT.
   2. SUCH A PROHIBITION SHALL NOT APPLY TO:
   A. A FACILITY ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS;
   B. A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY.
   3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "TRAVELING ANIMAL ACT" SHALL MEAN ANY PERFORMANCE OF WILD  ANIMALS
 WHERE  SUCH  ANIMALS  ARE TRANSPORTED TO, FROM, OR BETWEEN LOCATIONS FOR
 THE PURPOSE OF SUCH PERFORMANCE; AND
   (B) "PERFORMANCE" SHALL MEAN ANY EXHIBITION OR PUBLIC SHOWING IN WHICH
 WILD ANIMALS ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM TRICKS, GIVE RIDES, OR  PARTICIPATE
 AS ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT, AMUSEMENT, OR BENEFIT OF A LIVE
 AUDIENCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect December 31, 2022.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.