Assembly Bill A637

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    637
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Ways and Means
 
 AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing  a  tax  credit
   for the adoption of household pets
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 606 of the tax law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subsection (qqq) to read as follows:
   (QQQ) CREDIT FOR THE ADOPTION OF HOUSEHOLD PETS. (1) GENERAL. AN INDI-
 VIDUAL TAXPAYER SHALL BE ALLOWED A CREDIT FOR TAXABLE YEARS BEGINNING ON
 OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR AGAINST THE TAX IMPOSED
 BY  THIS  ARTICLE  FOR THE COST OF ADOPTING A MAXIMUM OF THREE HOUSEHOLD
 PETS PER TAXABLE YEAR FROM A QUALIFYING ANIMAL SHELTER.   THE AMOUNT  OF
 THE CREDIT SHALL BE ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER ANIMAL OR THE ACTUAL COST OF
 SUCH  ADOPTION, WHICHEVER IS LESS, FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE PETS PER TAXA-
 BLE YEAR.
   (2) DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION:
   (A) THE TERM "HOUSEHOLD PET" SHALL MEAN ANY DOG, CAT OR OTHER DOMESTI-
 CATED ANIMAL KEPT FOR THE  PRIMARY  PURPOSE  OF  COMPANIONSHIP  THAT  IS
 NORMALLY  MAINTAINED IN OR NEAR THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE OWNER OR PERSON WHO
 CARES FOR SUCH DOMESTICATED ANIMAL, PROVIDED THAT KEEPING SUCH ANIMAL IS
 NOT IN VIOLATION OF ANY APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL
 LAW.
   (B) THE TERM "QUALIFYING ANIMAL SHELTER" SHALL MEAN THE FOLLOWING:
   (I) ANY MUNICIPAL POUND  OR  SHELTER  HARBORING  ANIMALS  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN OF THE AGRICULTURE AND
 MARKETS LAW;
   (II) ANY POUND, SHELTER, DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR THE  PREVENTION
 OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY OR DULY INCORPO-
 RATED  ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION THAT OPERATES PHYSICAL ANIMAL SHEL-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02160-01-5
 A. 637                              2
 
 TERING FACILITIES AND OFFERS HOUSEHOLD PETS TO THE PUBLIC  FOR  ADOPTION
 BY  WAY OF AN ESTABLISHED ADOPTION PROGRAM. SUCH FACILITIES SHALL NOT BE
 CO-LOCATED ON A RESIDENTIAL PREMISES; OR
   (III) ANY POUND, SHELTER, DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION
 OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, DULY INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY OR DULY INCORPO-
 RATED  ANIMAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION LOCATED IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION
 OF TWO MILLION OR MORE THAT OPERATES PHYSICAL ANIMAL SHELTERING  FACILI-
 TIES  AND  OFFERS HOUSEHOLD PETS TO THE PUBLIC FOR ADOPTION BY WAY OF AN
 ESTABLISHED ADOPTION PROGRAM. SUCH FACILITIES SHALL NOT BE CO-LOCATED ON
 A RESIDENTIAL PREMISES.
   (3)  ELIGIBILITY.  TO  QUALIFY  FOR  THE  CREDIT  PRESCRIBED  IN  THIS
 SUBSECTION,  AN  INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF ANIMAL OWNER-
 SHIP IN THE FORM OF AN ADOPTION AGREEMENT FROM A QUALIFYING ANIMAL SHEL-
 TER AS DEFINED IN THIS SUBSECTION, AND WRITTEN PROOF  THAT  SUCH  ANIMAL
 WAS  SPAYED  OR NEUTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVEN-
 TY-SEVEN-A OF THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS LAW.
   (4) WHEN CREDIT ALLOWED. THE CREDIT PROVIDED FOR  IN  THIS  SUBSECTION
 SHALL  BE  ALLOWED  WITH  RESPECT  TO THE TAXABLE YEAR, COMMENCING AFTER
 JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR, IN WHICH THE PET IS ADOPTED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  pet
 adoptions  in  taxable years beginning on and after the first of January
 next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.