Assembly Bill A6602

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes the crime of endangering the welfare of a companion animal or farm 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-A6602 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Agriculture
Law Section:
Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:
Add §§387 & 388, Ag & Mkts L

2025-A6602 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the crime of endangering the welfare of a companion animal or farm animal in the first and second degree.

2025-A6602 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6602
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Agriculture
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab-
   lishing the crime of endangering the welfare of a companion animal  or
   farm animal
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended  by  adding  two
 new sections 387 and 388 to read as follows:
   § 387. ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A COMPANION ANIMAL OR FARM ANIMAL IN
 THE SECOND DEGREE. 1. A PERSON IS GUILTY OF ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A
 COMPANION  ANIMAL  OR  FARM ANIMAL IN THE SECOND DEGREE WHEN SUCH PERSON
 RECKLESSLY ENGAGES IN CONDUCT WHICH IS LIKELY TO CAUSE SUFFERING  OR  BE
 INJURIOUS  TO THE PHYSICAL WELFARE OF SUCH COMPANION OR FARM ANIMAL. THE
 FOLLOWING SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE OWNERS OF FARM ANIMALS  OR  THEIR  AGENTS  TO
 SLAUGHTER SUCH ANIMALS FOR COMMERCIAL OR SUBSISTENCE PURPOSES;
   (B)  ROUTINE  CARE  AND MAINTENANCE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE OWNER OF FARM
 ANIMALS OR THEIR AGENTS WHICH ARE REASONABLY CONSIDERED  STANDARD  PRAC-
 TICES IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY;
   (C)  PROCEDURES  AND OPERATIONS PERFORMED ON FARM ANIMALS OR COMPANION
 ANIMALS BY A DULY LICENSED VETERINARIAN; AND
   (D) RESEARCH OR TESTING  PROCEDURES  PERFORMED  WITHIN  FACILITIES  ON
 ANIMALS  USED  IN FOOD OR FIBER PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURE, RESEARCH, TEST-
 ING, OR EDUCATION, AS DEFINED UNDER SECTION THREE HUNDRED  SEVENTY-EIGHT
 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2. ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A COMPANION ANIMAL OR FARM ANIMAL IN THE
 SECOND  DEGREE  IS  A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR. A DEFENDANT CONVICTED OF THIS
 OFFENSE SHALL BE SENTENCED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION  TWO
 OF  SECTION  55.10 OF THE PENAL LAW, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ANY TERM OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09495-01-5
 A. 6602                             2
              

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.