Senate Bill S9944

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9944
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 16, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. ADDABBO, 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  estab-
   lishing a public animal cruelty registry
 
   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 a  new
 section 352 to read as follows:
   §  352.  PUBLIC  ANIMAL  CRUELTY REGISTRY. 1. ANY PERSON OVER EIGHTEEN
 YEARS OF AGE WHO IS CONVICTED OF ANIMAL ABUSE PURSUANT TO A VIOLATION OF
 SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OR THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE-A  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE,  OR OF THE COMPARABLE STATUTES OF ANOTHER STATE, SHALL REGISTER
 WITH THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES. SUCH REGISTRATION  SHALL
 BE  MADE IN A MANNER AND FORM TO BE DETERMINED BY THE DIVISION OF CRIMI-
 NAL JUSTICE SERVICES, AND SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM:
   (A) THE LEGAL NAME AND ANY OTHER NAMES  OR  ALIASES  THAT  THE  ANIMAL
 ABUSER IS USING OR HAS USED;
   (B) THE DATE OF BIRTH OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER;
   (C) THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER;
   (D) THE CURRENT ADDRESS OR LOCATION OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER;
   (E) THE PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER;
   (F)  THE  ANIMAL  PROTECTION  OFFENSE  FOR WHICH THE ANIMAL ABUSER WAS
 CONVICTED;
   (G) THE DATE AND PLACE OF THE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFENSE CONVICTION  OF
 THE ANIMAL ABUSER;
   (H) A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER AND A COMPLETE SET OF THE ANIMAL
 ABUSER'S FINGERPRINTS; AND
   (I)  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  ANY  TATTOOS,  SCARS  OR OTHER DISTINGUISHING
 FEATURES ON THE ANIMAL ABUSER'S BODY THAT WOULD  ASSIST  IN  IDENTIFYING
 THE ANIMAL ABUSER.
   2.  ANY  PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED ANIMAL ABUSER SHALL REREGISTER WITH THE
 DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES  NO  LATER  THAN  TEN  DAYS  AFTER
 MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION WITHIN THE STATE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15561-01-6
              

 S. 9944                             2
 
   3.  AN  ANIMAL  ABUSER  WHO INTENTIONALLY OR KNOWINGLY FAILS TO COMPLY
 WITH THE  REGISTRATION  REQUIREMENTS  SET  FORTH  IN  THIS  SECTION,  OR
 PROVIDES FALSE INFORMATION WHEN COMPLYING WITH THE REGISTRATION REQUIRE-
 MENTS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, SHALL BE GUILTY OF A CLASS E FELONY.
   4.  THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES SHALL MAINTAIN REGISTRA-
 TION INFORMATION RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IN A  REGISTRY.  SUCH
 REGISTRY  SHALL BE AVAILABLE IN PRINT, ELECTRONIC FORM, THROUGH INTERNET
 ACCESS, TELEPHONE ACCESS, AND IN-PERSON ACCESS AND SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO
 THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES, DISTRICT  ATTORNEYS,
 DULY  INCORPORATED  HUMANE  SOCIETIES,  SOCIETIES  FOR THE PREVENTION OF
 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, DOG OR CAT PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATIONS,  ANIMAL  CONTROL
 OFFICERS, BREEDERS OF ANIMALS, ANIMAL RESCUES AND PET STORES DOING BUSI-
 NESS  IN  THIS  STATE.  ALL  OF  THE  INFORMATION CONTAINED IN AN ANIMAL
 ABUSER'S REGISTRATION, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER'S  SOCIAL
 SECURITY NUMBER, SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
   5.  WITHIN TEN DAYS OF RECEIVING INITIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION FROM
 AN ANIMAL ABUSER,  THE  DIVISION  OF  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE  SERVICES  SHALL
 CONTACT  EVERY RESIDENCE, SCHOOL, HUMANE SOCIETY, ANIMAL SHELTER AND ANY
 OTHER BUSINESS WITHIN A HALF MILE RADIUS OF THE  ANIMAL  ABUSER'S  RESI-
 DENCE OR LOCATION AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE ANIMAL ABUSER'S REGISTRATION
 INFORMATION,  WITH  THE EXCEPTION OF THE ANIMAL ABUSER'S SOCIAL SECURITY
 NUMBER.
   6. ANY PERSON REQUIRED TO REGISTER  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION  SHALL
 REGISTER ANNUALLY, OR EACH TIME SUCH PERSON MOVES TO A NEW ADDRESS WITH-
 IN THE STATE AND SHALL CONTINUE TO REGISTER UNTIL SUCH PERSON RECEIVES A
 COURT  ORDER ORDERING SUCH REGISTRATION TO CEASE. NO SUCH ORDER SHALL BE
 ISSUED UNTIL SUCH PERSON FIRST  DEMONSTRATES  TO  THE  COURT  THAT  SUCH
 PERSON  HAS  UNDERGONE PSYCHIATRIC OR PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, THE RESULTS
 OF WHICH INDICATE BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THE CAPABLE AND SOUND
 MENTAL CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO OWN AND PROPERLY CARE FOR AN ANIMAL IN  A
 HUMANE  MANNER. ANY PERSON REQUIRED TO REGISTER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION
 SHALL NOT OWN A COMPANION ANIMAL OR HAVE EMPLOYMENT AT AN  ANIMAL  SHEL-
 TER, POUND, PET STORE, ZOO OR OTHER BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT WHERE COMPAN-
 ION  ANIMALS  ARE  PRESENT,  UNTIL RECEIVING A COURT ORDER ORDERING SUCH
 REGISTRATION TO CEASE.
   7. ANY PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED OF ANIMAL ABUSE PURSUANT TO A VIOLATION
 OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OR  THREE  HUNDRED  FIFTY-THREE-A  OF
 THIS  ARTICLE  SHALL, IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER PENALTY OR TERM OF IMPRI-
 SONMENT AUTHORIZED BY LAW, BE SUBJECT TO A MANDATORY ANNUAL SURCHARGE OF
 FIFTY DOLLARS WHICH SHALL BE USED TO PAY FOR COSTS AND EXPENSES  ASSOCI-
 ATED  WITH  ESTABLISHING  AND  MAINTAINING THE REGISTRY REQUIRED BY THIS
 SECTION.
   8. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO  ALL  MUNICIPALITIES,
 INCLUDING  CITIES  HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE, AND SHALL
 SUPERSEDE ANY LOCAL LAW, RULE, REGULATION, CODE OR ORDINANCE  REGULATING
 THE  ESTABLISHMENT,  IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF AN ANIMAL CRUELTY
 OR ABUSER REGISTRY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.