BILL NUMBER: S1677

SPONSOR: ADDABBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to increas-
ing fines for selling disabled Equidae

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this legislation is to update the fines for selling disa-
bled horses at auctions. The bill also expands the protect to mules and
donkeys.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Section 358 of the agriculture and markets law is amended.

Section 2: Established the effect date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:
              

Every year, thousands of horse auctions are held in the United States,
attracting farmersä ranchers, pleasure-horse owners, riding stable oper-
ators, and unfortunately - slaughterhouse buyers. The equines run the
gamete between healthy young thoroughbreds to broken-down old mules. The
healthy ones may be fortunate enough to be purchased as inexpensive
riding horses and ponies. However, some are too old, sick, lame, or
neglected to be worked in any manner within this state without violating
the State law against cruelty to animals. As a result, many of these
horses become victims of killer buyers. Horse auctions should not be
dumping grounds for unwanted, abused, and neglected animals just because
their owners refuse or are unable to provide necessary vet care or
humane euthanasia as required by law.  Presently, it is a violation for
auctioneers to accept abused or neglected horses. However, the existing
penalty, which is a fine of $5 does not outweigh the financial benefit
that these facilities receive by accepting these animals for sale to
killer buyers. The fine has not been updated since 1965.

Some horses who are particularly malnourished are purchased by middle-
men, who take them home, fatten them up, and return them to the auction
for sale at a profit to the kill buyers.. These animals may change hands
repeatedly before they ultimately end up at the slaughterhouse door.

Despite the fact that the last slaughterhouse in the United States shut-
tered operations in 2007, horse slaughter remains a pernicious and inhu-
mane issue in the U.S. Since 2015, over 350,000 horses have been shipped
over our borders to Mexico and Canada for slaughter by "kill buyers."
Such horses are often shipped for more than 24 hours at a time without
food, water or rest, and suffer horribly along the way.  The sale of
disabled horses is already prohibited by law, this bill just seeks to
extent this protection to include mules and donkeys and update the fee,
which has not been updated since 1965.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S. 9097 - Referred to Agriculture

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
This legislation will have no fiscal implications for State or Local
Governments.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This Act shall take effect immediately.