NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6822A

Senate Bill S6822A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits contracts for the purchase or financing of a dog or cat from online websites from including provisions allowing repossession of the animal

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection 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

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 25, 2025	print number 6822a
Apr 25, 2025	amend (t) and recommit to consumer protection
Mar 25, 2025	referred to consumer protection

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S6822 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1672
Current Committee:: Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:: General Business Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §753-e, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9019, A4058

2025-S6822 - Summary

Prohibits contracts for the purchase or financing of a dog or cat from online websites from including provisions allowing repossession of the animal.

2025-S6822 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6822

SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting
contracts for the purchase or financing of a dog, cat, or rabbit from
including provisions allowing repossession of the animal

 
PURPOSE:

This bill will protect consumers from predatory pet leasing agreements
conducted online.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends § 753-e of the general business law.

Section two of the bill sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2018, New York State enacted a law to prohibit the leasing of dogs
and cats sold in pet stores. These agreements, sometimes referred to as
payment plans, are signed by consumers who have fallen in love with a
puppy or kitten at the pet store, often not realizing that they are
entering into a lease agreement and the pet could be repossessed. Unlike
homes or automobiles, pets are sentient beings that should not be treat-
ed as collateral.

In recent years, more retailers have begun to sell pets online, where
consumers choose a pet based on online photos and complete the purchase
by paying in full upfront or through a lease agreement. New York State
has already taken steps to protect consumers from the predatory leasing
of pets sold in stores, but we must convey similar protections for those
who purchase a pet online. This legislation will prohibit online pet
retailers from using an animal as a form of collateral and add rabbits
to the animals included in current law that may not be used for collat-
eral.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S9019-A (Gianaris) PASSED SENATE / A4058-B (Rosenthal L) advanced
to third reading

2023: A4058-A (Rosenthal L) reported, died in codes

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6822 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6822
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law,  in  relation  to  prohibiting
   contracts  for the purchase or financing of a dog, cat, or rabbit from
   including provisions allowing repossession of the animal

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  753-e  of  the general business law, as added by
 chapter 272 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   § 753-e. Prohibited contracts. No contract for the purchase of  a  dog
 [or  a], cat, OR RABBIT, or the financing of such purchase shall include
 any provisions which authorize the use of a dog [or a], cat,  OR  RABBIT
 as  security  where  such dog [or], cat, OR RABBIT may be repossessed by
 the seller or lender contingent on the purchaser making  payments  under
 such contract. Provided, however, nothing in this section shall prohibit
 the purchase of a dog [or], cat, OR RABBIT through an unsecured personal
 loan,  nor  be construed to limit the enforcement of other provisions of
 this article, article [twenty-six-a] TWENTY-SIX-A of the agriculture and
 markets law or other rights or remedies which are otherwise available to
 all parties under any other law.  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION  SHALL
 ALSO  APPLY  TO  THE  SALE  OF  A  DOG, CAT, OR RABBIT THROUGH AN ONLINE
 WEBSITE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04457-01-5

2025-S6822A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1672
Current Committee:: Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:: General Business Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §753-e, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9019, A4058

2025-S6822A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits contracts for the purchase or financing of a dog or cat from online websites from including provisions allowing repossession of the animal.

2025-S6822A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6822A

SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting
certain contracts for the purchase or financing of a dog or cat from
including provisions allowing repossession of the animal

 
PURPOSE:

This bill will protect consumers from predatory pet leasing agreements
conducted online.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends § 753-e of the general business law.

Section two of the bill sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2018, New York State enacted a law to prohibit the leasing of dogs
and cats sold in pet stores. These agreements, sometimes referred to as
payment plans, are signed by consumers who have fallen in love with a
puppy or kitten at the pet store, often not realizing that they are
entering into a lease agreement and the pet could be repossessed. Unlike
homes or automobiles, pets are sentient beings that should not be treat-
ed as collateral.

In recent years, more retailers have begun to sell pets online, where
consumers choose a pet based on online photos and complete the purchase
by paying in full upfront or through a lease agreement. New York State
has already taken steps to protect consumers from the predatory leasing
of pets sold in stores, but we must convey similar protections for those
who purchase a pet online. This legislation will prohibit online pet
retailers from using an animal as a form of collateral

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S9019-A (Gianaris) PASSED SENATE / A4058-B (Rosenthal L) advanced
to third reading

2023: A4058-A (Rosenthal L) reported, died in codes FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6822A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6822--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Consumer  Protection  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law,  in  relation  to  prohibiting
   certain  contracts  for the purchase or financing of a dog or cat from
   including provisions allowing repossession of the animal
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  753-e  of  the general business law, as added by
 chapter 272 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   § 753-e. Prohibited contracts. No contract for the purchase of  a  dog
 or  a cat or the financing of such purchase shall include any provisions
 which authorize the use of a dog or a cat as security where such dog  or
 cat  may  be  repossessed  by  the  seller  or  lender contingent on the
 purchaser making payments under such contract. Provided, however,  noth-
 ing  in this section shall prohibit the purchase of a dog or cat through
 an unsecured personal loan, nor be construed to limit the enforcement of
 other provisions of this article, article [twenty-six-a] TWENTY-SIX-A of
 the agriculture and markets law or other rights or  remedies  which  are
 otherwise  available to all parties under any other law.  THE PROVISIONS
 OF THIS SECTION SHALL ALSO APPLY TO THE SALE OF A DOG OR CAT THROUGH  AN
 ONLINE WEBSITE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04457-03-5

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