Senate Bill S7812

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing Bella's Law, which correlates animal abuse with domestic violence

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current 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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2023-S7812 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1276
Current Committee:
Senate Agriculture
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Add §353-aa, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: A9948
2021-2022: A3985, A10013

2023-S7812 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes Bella's Law which calls for an investigation into possible domestic violence or abuse for persons who have been accused of animal abuse.

2023-S7812 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7812 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7812
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK  --  read  twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to enacting
   "Bella's Law"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Bella's Law".
   § 2. Legislative intent. The  legislature  hereby  finds  that  animal
 cruelty  is  a  serious  problem and that individuals who harm and abuse
 animals are statistically more likely to engage in domestic violence and
 child abuse than individuals who do not harm and abuse animals. A strong
 correlation has been established linking individuals who  abuse  animals
 with  incidents of domestic violence. Therefore, the purpose of this law
 is to establish a requirement that the state of New York office of chil-
 dren and family services must investigate any individual who is  accused
 of or investigated for animal cruelty to ensure that there is no associ-
 ated  domestic  or  family  violence and that law enforcement notify and
 coordinate with the office of children and  family  services  in  animal
 cruelty investigations and arrests.
   §  3.  The  agriculture  and  markets  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 353-aa to read as follows:
   § 353-AA. ANIMAL ABUSE ACCUSAL REQUIRING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
 INVESTIGATION. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS  SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "ANIMAL"  SHALL MEAN ANY LIVE MAMMAL, BIRD, OR REPTILE, BUT SHALL
 NOT INCLUDE FEEDER ANIMALS.
   (B) "COMPANION ANIMAL" SHALL MEAN ANY DOG OR CAT, AND SHALL ALSO  MEAN
 ANY  OTHER DOMESTICATED ANIMAL NORMALLY MAINTAINED IN OR NEAR THE HOUSE-
 HOLD OF THE OWNER OR  PERSON  WHO  CARES  FOR  SUCH  OTHER  DOMESTICATED
 ANIMAL.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00359-01-3
              

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