Assembly Bill A2421

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2421
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. ROSENTHAL, DINOWITZ, EPSTEIN, HEVESI, JACKSON,
   STERN, GLICK, SIMONE, BORES, KELLES, DAVILA -- read once and  referred
   to the Committee on Agriculture
 
 AN  ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohib-
   iting the operation of establishments where animals and/or  fowls  are
   slaughtered and butchered for food
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.   Legislative intent. The  legislature  hereby  finds  that
 emergency measures must be enacted to help prevent the spread of zoonot-
 ic  and  other  infectious  diseases.  Experts throughout the world have
 concluded that the COVID-19 crisis is  likely  attributable  to  a  live
 animal  market.    Inspection reports from the department of agriculture
 and markets indicate ongoing health, safety and welfare problems at  New
 York's  markets.  Hundreds of thousands of human lives have already been
 lost and millions of people  have  been  sickened  during  the  COVID-19
 pandemic.  The  purpose of this law is to eliminate one potential vector
 for the transmission of zoonotic diseases, live animal markets, and  the
 suffering  it  causes therefrom at least until there is further examina-
 tion by  infectious  disease  experts  of  the  nexus  between  zoonotic
 diseases and live animal markets.
   §  2.  The  agriculture  and  markets  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 96-ee to read as follows:
   § 96-EE. PROHIBITION OF THE OPERATION OF ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE  ANIMALS
 AND/OR  FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED FOR FOOD. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION
 OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY:
   (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL NOT LICENSE ANY PERSON,  FIRM,  PARTNERSHIP
 OR  CORPORATION  TO  OPERATE  ANY  PLACE  OR ESTABLISHMENT WHERE ANIMALS
 AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR FOOD;
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IMMEDIATELY  SUSPEND  THE  LICENSE  OF  ANY
 PERSON,  FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATION THAT CURRENTLY HOLDS A LICENSE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05659-01-5
              

 A. 2421                             2
 
 ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO OPERATE ANY PLACE OR  ESTABLISHMENT  WHERE
 ANIMALS AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR FOOD; AND
   (C) NO PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP OR CORPORATION THAT CURRENTLY HOLDS A
 LICENSE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO OPERATE ANY PLACE OR ESTABLISHMENT
 WHERE  ANIMALS  AND/OR FOWLS ARE SLAUGHTERED OR BUTCHERED FOR FOOD SHALL
 OPERATE SUCH ESTABLISHMENT AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   2. (A) A TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS AND ANIMAL WELFARE CONCERNS
 OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED. SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL  CONDUCT
 AND COMPLETE A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF FACILITIES HERETOFORE LICENSED BY
 THE  DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS ARTICLE AND THEIR EFFECT ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND
 SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE.
   (B) SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF SEVEN MEMBERS, TO BE APPOINTED AS
 FOLLOWS: ONE MEMBER TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; TWO MEMBERS  TO  BE
 APPOINTED  BY  THE  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; TWO MEMBERS TO BE
 APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; ONE MEMBER TO BE APPOINTED  BY
 THE  COMMISSIONER  OR SUCH COMMISSIONER'S DESIGNEE; AND ONE MEMBER TO BE
 APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH OR SUCH COMMISSIONER'S DESIGNEE.
 APPOINTEES SHALL HAVE EXPERTISE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND, IN  PARTIC-
 ULAR, THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF DISEASES BETWEEN ANIMALS RAISED OR SLAUGH-
 TERED  FOR  FOOD  AND  HUMANS. AT LEAST ONE SUCH REPRESENTATIVE SHALL BE
 FROM A DULY INCORPORATED ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION, AND AT  LEAST  ONE
 SUCH REPRESENTATIVE SHALL BE A LICENSED VETERINARIAN WHO IS NOT EMPLOYED
 BY A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
   (C)  NO  MEMBER,  OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE  OF  SUCH  TASK FORCE SHALL BE
 DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING ANY OTHER PUBLIC  OFFICE  OR  EMPLOYMENT,  NOR
 SHALL  ANY  SUCH  MEMBER, OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE FORFEIT ANY SUCH OFFICE OR
 EMPLOYMENT BY REASON OF SUCH MEMBER'S, OFFICER'S OR EMPLOYEE'S  APPOINT-
 MENT  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION, NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF ANY
 GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE OR CITY CHARTER.
   (D) THE MEMBERS OF SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL RECEIVE NO  COMPENSATION  FOR
 THEIR SERVICES, BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES
 INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   (E)  SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL MAKE A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS TO THE GOVER-
 NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE  SENATE,  AND  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE
 ASSEMBLY  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR OF THE DATE OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TASK
 FORCE, WHICH SHALL TAKE PLACE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE  APPOINTMENT  OF
 THE  TASK  FORCE  REPRESENTATIVES. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS FOR FURTHER ACTION AND LEGISLATION.
   3. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO APPLY TO ANY  FACILI-
 TIES OTHER THAN LIVE POULTRY OR SMALL ANIMAL SLAUGHTERHOUSES PURSUANT TO
 THIS ARTICLE WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.