S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1117
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requir-
ing licensed slaughterhouses to have closed circuit camera and tele-
vision systems and establishing a reporting requirement pursuant to
inspections where a violation is found
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 96-a of the agriculture and markets law, as amended
by chapter 573 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
§ 96-a. Declaration of policy and purpose. Whereas unsanitary condi-
tions in the slaughtering of animals and fowl for food have been found
to exist in this state, and whereas such conditions endanger the health
and welfare of the people AND ANIMALS AND FOWL of the state, it is here-
by declared to be a matter of legislative determination that the super-
vision of the slaughtering of animals and fowl is in the public inter-
est, and that this article is enacted in the exercise of the police
power of the state and its purposes are the protection of the public
health.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 96-b of the agriculture and markets law,
as amended by chapter 395 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as
follows:
1. No person, firm, partnership or corporation not granted inspection
pursuant to the federal meat inspection act, the federal poultry
products inspection act, article five-B or article five-D of this chap-
ter shall operate any place or establishment where animals or fowls are
slaughtered or butchered for food unless such person, firm, partnership
or corporation be licensed by the commissioner. In addition to any other
requirements established by the commissioner, such license shall prohib-
it the slaughter or butchering by slaughterhouses of domesticated dog
and domesticated cat to create food, meat, meat by-products or meat food
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01306-01-3
A. 1117 2
products for human or animal consumption. SUCH LICENSE SHALL REQUIRE
ANY PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP, OR CORPORATION THAT HAS A LICENSE PURSU-
ANT TO THIS ARTICLE TO INSTALL AND OPERATE A CLOSED CIRCUIT CAMERA AND
TELEVISION SYSTEM IN ALL AREAS WHERE LIVE ANIMALS ARE PRESENT. SUCH
CAMERAS SHALL BE PLACED TO ENSURE THERE IS A COMPLETE AND CLEAR VIEW OF
ALL AREAS CONTAINING LIVE ANIMALS. THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS OR HER
DESIGNEES, THE POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AUTHORIZED TO
ENFORCE ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER OR OTHER LAWS PERTAINING TO
THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, OR ENDANGERING THE
LIFE OR HEALTH OF ANIMALS, SHALL HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE FOOTAGE
FROM SUCH CLOSED CIRCUIT CAMERA AND TELEVISION SYSTEMS. RECORDINGS FOR
EACH DAY SHALL BE RETAINED BY THE LICENSEE FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS
BEFORE IT CAN BE DELETED. An application for license shall be made upon
a form prescribed by the commissioner on or before the first day of May
in every other year, for a two year license period commencing upon the
following first day of June. With the application there shall be paid a
license fee of two hundred dollars.
§ 3. The opening paragraph of section 96-b of the agriculture and
markets law, as amended by section 2 of part I-1 of chapter 62 of the
laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
No person, firm, partnership or corporation not granted inspection
pursuant to the federal meat inspection act, the federal poultry
products inspection act, article five-B or article five-D of this chap-
ter shall operate any place or establishment where animals or fowls are
slaughtered or butchered for food unless such person, firm, partnership
or corporation be licensed by the commissioner. In addition to any other
requirements established by the commissioner, such license shall prohib-
it the slaughter or butchering by slaughterhouses of domesticated dog
and domesticated cat to create food, meat, meat by-products or meat food
products for human or animal consumption. SUCH LICENSE SHALL REQUIRE
ANY PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP, OR CORPORATION THAT HAS A LICENSE PURSU-
ANT TO THIS ARTICLE TO INSTALL AND OPERATE A CLOSED CIRCUIT CAMERA AND
TELEVISION SYSTEM IN ALL AREAS WHERE LIVE ANIMALS ARE PRESENT. SUCH
CAMERAS SHALL BE PLACED TO ENSURE THERE IS A COMPLETE AND CLEAR VIEW OF
ALL AREAS CONTAINING LIVE ANIMALS. THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS OR HER
DESIGNEES, THE POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AUTHORIZED TO
ENFORCE ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER OR OTHER LAWS PERTAINING TO
THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, OR ENDANGERING THE
LIFE OR HEALTH OF ANIMALS, SHALL HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE FOOTAGE
FROM SUCH CLOSED CIRCUIT CAMERA AND TELEVISION SYSTEMS. RECORDINGS FOR
EACH DAY SHALL BE RETAINED BY THE LICENSEE FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS
BEFORE IT CAN BE DELETED. An application for license shall be made upon
a form prescribed by the commissioner on or before the first day of May
in every other year, for a two year license period commencing upon the
following first day of June. With the application there shall be paid a
license fee of two hundred dollars.
§ 4. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
section 96-f-1 to read as follows:
§ 96-F-1. MANDATORY REPORTING PURSUANT TO INSPECTION. ANY AUTHORIZED
PERSON CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION OF A SLAUGHTERHOUSE OR REVIEWING CLOSED
CIRCUIT CAMERA FOOTAGE AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION NINETY-SIX-B OF THIS
ARTICLE SHALL, UPON BELIEF THAT ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER OR
ANY OTHER LAW PERTAINING TO THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, CRUELTY TO
ANIMALS, OR ENDANGERING THE LIFE OR HEALTH OF ANIMALS HAVE BEEN
VIOLATED, REPORT THE SUSPECTED VIOLATION TO THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND LOCAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS OR OTHER LAW
A. 1117 3
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AUTHORIZED TO ENFORCE SUCH LAWS. ORAL REPORTS SHALL
BE FOLLOWED BY A WRITTEN REPORT WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS OF SUCH ORAL
REPORT, OR AS SOON AS IS REASONABLY POSSIBLE.
§ 5. This act shall take effect two years after it shall have become a
law, provided that the amendments to subdivision 1 of section 96-b of
the agriculture and markets law made by section two of this act shall be
subject to the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to
section 3 of chapter 395 of the laws of 2008, as amended, when upon such
date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect.
Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
tive date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
effective date.