Assembly Bill A6459

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to penalties for intent to cause injury to an animal

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-A6459 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S3730
Current Committee:
Assembly Agriculture
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §353-a, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: A5520, S5118
2017-2018: A5153, S6147
2019-2020: A5695, S1115
2021-2022: A6900, S4505
2023-2024: A5177, S3075

2025-A6459 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to penalties for intent to cause injury to an animal.

2025-A6459 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6459
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  TANNOUSIS  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation  to  penal-
   ties for intent to cause injury to an animal
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of  section  353-a  of  the  agriculture  and
 markets  law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to
 read as follows:
   1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to  animals  when[,]:  (A)
 with no justifiable purpose, [he or she] SUCH PERSON intentionally kills
 or  intentionally  causes  serious physical injury to a companion animal
 with aggravated cruelty OR (B) UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES EVINCING  A  DEPRAVED
 INDIFFERENCE TO THE LIFE OF AN ANIMAL, SUCH PERSON RECKLESSLY ENGAGES IN
 CONDUCT  WHICH  CREATES A GRAVE RISK OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH
 TO THE ANIMAL, AND THEREBY CAUSES SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY  OR  DEATH  TO
 SUCH  ANIMAL.   For purposes of this section, "aggravated cruelty" shall
 mean conduct which:  (i) is intended to cause extreme physical pain;  or
 (ii)  is  done  or  carried  out  in  an especially depraved or sadistic
 manner.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07513-01-5

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.