Bill Text: NY A04283 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits by retail pet shops; authorizes collaboration with entities to provide space to showcase cats or dogs owned by certain entities for the purpose of adoption.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 52-4)
Status: (Introduced) 2021-05-25 - reported referred to rules [A04283 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A04283-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4283 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 1, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, BARNWELL, EPSTEIN, CRUZ, HUNTER, GOTTFRIED, GLICK, SEAWRIGHT, FERNANDEZ, PAULIN, LAVINE, FAHY, KIM, WALLACE, JACOBSON, DINOWITZ, DICKENS, BENEDETTO, COLTON, SCHMITT, WEPRIN, QUART, ENGLEBRIGHT, FRONTUS, OTIS, BRONSON, DE LA ROSA, REYES, NIOU, RAMOS, BICHOTTE HERMELYN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HEVE- SI, SIMON, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agri- culture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the general business law, in relation to the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 48 of section 16 of the agriculture and markets 2 law, as added by chapter 384 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 48. Make available in written and electronic medium, in a manner read- 5 ily accessible to police agencies and officers and district attorneys, 6 information about animal cruelty and protection laws in this chapter, 7 including, but not limited to, article twenty-six of this chapter and 8 section seven hundred fifty-three-f of the general business law. The 9 development of such information shall be coordinated with the division 10 of criminal justice services, including the municipal police training 11 council, in a manner designed to enhance training of municipal police 12 officers and to assist such officers and district attorneys in enforcing 13 and applying such laws. 14 § 2. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 4 of section 400 of the 15 agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 168 of the laws of 16 2017, are amended and a new paragraph (d) is added to read as follows: 17 (b) Any municipal pound or shelter dedicated to the care of unwanted 18 animals which makes such animals available for adoption whether or not a 19 fee for such adoption is charged, established and maintained pursuant to 20 subdivision one of section one hundred fourteen of this chapter;[and] EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00535-02-1A. 4283 2 1 (c) Any duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to 2 animals, duly incorporated humane society, duly incorporated animal 3 protective association or other duly incorporated animal adoption or 4 animal rescue organization dedicated to the care of unwanted animals 5 which makes such animals available for adoption whether or not a fee for 6 such adoption is charged that is exempt from taxes pursuant to paragraph 7 (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue 8 Code, 26 U.S.C. 501, or any subsequent corresponding sections of the 9 federal Internal Revenue Code, as from time to time amended, that is 10 registered with the department pursuant to section four hundred eight of 11 this article[.]; and 12 (d) Any retail pet shop as defined in subdivision eight of section 13 seven hundred fifty-two of the general business law. 14 § 3. Paragraphs (e) and (f) of subdivision 4 of section 408 of the 15 agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 168 of the laws of 16 2017, are amended and a new paragraph (g) is added to read as follows: 17 (e) The applicant or registrant is determined by the commissioner to 18 be in violation of section twenty-one hundred forty-one of the public 19 health law or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder by the 20 commissioner of health; [and] 21 (f) The applicant or registrant, or an officer or director has been 22 responsible in whole or in part for any act on account of which an 23 application for registration may be denied or a registration cancelled 24 pursuant to the provisions of this article[.]; and 25 (g) The applicant or registrant was previously licensed as a pet deal- 26 er pursuant to this article. 27 § 4. The opening paragraph of subdivision 3 of section 752 of the 28 general business law, as amended by chapter 168 of the laws of 2017, is 29 amended and a new paragraph (d) is added to read as follows: 30 For purposes of section seven hundred fifty-three of this article, a 31 "pet dealer" shall mean any person who, in the ordinary course of busi- 32 ness, engages in the sale or offering for sale of more than nine animals 33 per year for profit to the public. Such definition shall include breed- 34 ers of animals who sell or offer for sale animals directly to a consumer 35 but it shall not include any retail pet shop as defined in subdivision 36 eight of this section, municipal pound or shelter established and main- 37 tained pursuant to subdivision one of section one hundred fourteen of 38 the agriculture and markets law, or any duly incorporated society for 39 the prevention of cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, 40 duly incorporated animal protective association or other duly incorpo- 41 rated animal adoption or animal rescue organization that is tax exempt 42 pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the feder- 43 al Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 501, or any subsequent corresponding 44 sections of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as from time to time 45 amended, that is registered with the department pursuant to section four 46 hundred eight of the agriculture and markets law. For purposes of 47 sections seven hundred fifty-three-a, seven hundred fifty-three-b, seven 48 hundred fifty-three-c and seven hundred fifty-three-d of this article, 49 "pet dealer" shall mean any person who engages in the sale or offering 50 for sale of more than nine animals per year for profit to the public. 51 Such definition shall include breeders who sell animals; but it shall 52 not include the following: 53 (d) Any retail pet shop as defined in subdivision eight of this 54 section. 55 § 5. Section 752 of the general business law is amended by adding a 56 new subdivision 8 to read as follows:A. 4283 3 1 8. "Retail pet shop" means any for-profit place of business that sells 2 or offers for sale animals to be kept as household pets, pet food or 3 supplies, but shall not include breeders who sell or offer to sell 4 directly to the consumer animals that are born and raised on the 5 breeder's residential premises. 6 § 6. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 753-f 7 to read as follows: 8 § 753-f. Sale of dogs, cats and rabbits prohibited. A retail pet shop 9 as defined in this article shall not sell, lease, offer to lease, offer 10 to sell, barter, auction, or otherwise transfer ownership of any dog, 11 cat or rabbit. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a retail 12 pet shop from collaborating with the following entities to provide space 13 to showcase dogs, cats or rabbits owned by these entities for the 14 purpose of adoption; any duly incorporated society for the prevention of 15 cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, duly incorporated 16 animal protective association or other duly incorporated animal adoption 17 or animal rescue organization that is exempt from taxes pursuant to 18 paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal 19 Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 501, or any subsequent corresponding sections 20 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as from time to time amended, that 21 is registered with the department pursuant to section four hundred eight 22 of the agriculture and markets law that is not affiliated with, or 23 housed on the premises of a breeder or broker that does not obtain dogs, 24 cats or rabbits from a breeder or broker in exchange for payment or 25 compensation, and does not resell dogs, cats or rabbits obtained from a 26 breeder or broker or provide payment or compensation to such breeder or 27 broker. 28 § 7. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 29 law.
