S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6880
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to aggra-
vated cruelty to animals during an incident of domestic violence
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 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:
3. Aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony. A defendant convicted of
this offense shall be sentenced pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision
one of section 55.10 of the penal law provided, however, that any term
of imprisonment imposed for violation of this section shall be a defi-
nite sentence, which may not exceed two years, EXCEPT THAT ANY PERSON
WHO COMMITS ONE OR MORE OF THE ACTS SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION DURING AN INCIDENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION
FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE-C OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW MAY BE SENTENCED TO
A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED FOUR YEARS. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "DURING
AN INCIDENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" INCLUDES THE PERIOD OF TENSION OR
STRESS LEADING UP TO THE ACT OR ACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE PERIOD
FOLLOWING THE ACT OR ACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11304-01-5