STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3629

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 28, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, RICHARDSON, ENGLEBRIGHT, EPSTEIN,
          HEVESI, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on  Agri-
          culture

        AN  ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohib-
          iting the operation of establishments where animals and/or  fowls  are
          slaughtered and butchered for food

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1.   Legislative intent. The  legislature  hereby  finds  that
     2  emergency measures must be enacted to help prevent the spread of zoonot-
     3  ic  and  other  infectious  diseases.  Experts throughout the world have
     4  concluded that the COVID-19 crisis is  likely  attributable  to  a  live
     5  animal  market.    Inspection reports from the department of agriculture
     6  and markets indicate ongoing health, safety and welfare problems at  New
     7  York's  markets.  Hundreds of thousands of human lives have already been
     8  lost and millions of people  have  been  sickened  during  the  COVID-19
     9  pandemic.  The  purpose of this law is to eliminate one potential vector
    10  for the transmission of zoonotic diseases, live animal markets, and  the
    11  suffering  it  causes therefrom at least until there is further examina-
    12  tion by  infectious  disease  experts  of  the  nexus  between  zoonotic
    13  diseases and live animal markets.
    14    §  2.  The  agriculture  and  markets  law  is amended by adding a new
    15  section 96-ee to read as follows:
    16    § 96-ee. Prohibition of the operation of establishments where  animals
    17  and/or  fowls are slaughtered for food. 1. Notwithstanding any provision
    18  of law to the contrary:
    19    (a) the commissioner shall not license any person,  firm,  partnership
    20  or  corporation  to  operate  any  place  or establishment where animals
    21  and/or fowls are slaughtered or butchered for food;
    22    (b) the commissioner shall immediately  suspend  the  license  of  any
    23  person,  firm, partnership or corporation that currently holds a license

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06109-01-1

        A. 3629                             2

     1  issued by the commissioner to operate any place or  establishment  where
     2  animals and/or fowls are slaughtered or butchered for food; and
     3    (c) no person, firm, partnership or corporation that currently holds a
     4  license issued by the commissioner to operate any place or establishment
     5  where  animals  and/or fowls are slaughtered or butchered for food shall
     6  operate such establishment after the effective date of this section.
     7    2. (a) A task force on public health risks and animal welfare concerns
     8  of slaughterhouses is hereby established. Such task force shall  conduct
     9  and complete a thorough examination of facilities heretofore licensed by
    10  the  department under this article and their effect on public health and
    11  safety and animal welfare.
    12    (b) Such task force shall consist of seven members, to be appointed as
    13  follows: one member to be appointed by the governor; two members  to  be
    14  appointed  by  the  temporary president of the senate; two members to be
    15  appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member to be appointed  by
    16  the  commissioner or his or her designee; and one member to be appointed
    17  by the commissioner of health or his or her designee.  Appointees  shall
    18  have expertise in infectious diseases, and, in particular, the potential
    19  spread  of  diseases  between animals raised or slaughtered for food and
    20  humans. At least one such representative shall be from a  duly  incorpo-
    21  rated  animal welfare organization, and at least one such representative
    22  shall be a licensed veterinarian who is not  employed  by  a  government
    23  agency.
    24    (c)  No  member,  officer  or  employee  of  such  task force shall be
    25  disqualified from holding any other public  office  or  employment,  nor
    26  shall  he  or she forfeit any such office or employment by reason of his
    27  or  her  appointment  pursuant  to  this  section,  notwithstanding  the
    28  provisions of any general, special or local law, ordinance or city char-
    29  ter.
    30    (d)  The  members of such task force shall receive no compensation for
    31  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
    32  incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this section.
    33    (e) Such task force shall make a report of its findings to the  gover-
    34  nor,  the  temporary  president  of  the  senate, and the speaker of the
    35  assembly within one year of the date of the first meeting  of  the  task
    36  force,  which  shall take place within thirty days of the appointment of
    37  the task force representatives. Such report  shall  include  recommenda-
    38  tions for further action and legislation.
    39    3.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to any facili-
    40  ties other than live poultry or small animal slaughterhouses pursuant to
    41  this article which are open to the public.
    42    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.