Bill Text: NY A04609 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Establishes that animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, stress, and fear and establishes an animal can be a victim of a crime.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to agriculture [A04609 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A04609-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4609

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 4, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Agriculture

        AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation  to  estab-
          lishing animals as sentient beings

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

     1    Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a  new
     2  section 382 to read as follows:
     3    § 382. Animals as sentient beings.  The Legislature finds and declares
     4  that  animals  are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, stress,
     5  and fear. It is the policy of New York that, in order to protect animals
     6  from experiencing pain, stress, or fear at human hands, animals  are  to
     7  be  treated  humanely.  For that reason, animals shall be considered the
     8  victims of animal cruelty crimes and shall be treated as such in a court
     9  of law.
    10    § 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.






         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03849-01-1