S 197 NY
Relates to the sentencing for the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals
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Summary
This bill, known as Tucker's Law, modifies sentencing provisions for the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals in New York. The bill removes the existing provision that limited prison sentences for this offense to a maximum of two years. Aggravated cruelty to animals remains a felony, and defendants convicted will be sentenced according to standard felony sentencing guidelines in the penal law. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Enacts "Tucker's law"; removes the provision that provides that any term of imprisonment for a violation of aggravated cruelty to animals may not exceed two years.
Sponsor (1)
- Monica Martinez Democratic · primary
18 coauthors / cosponsors
- Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. Democratic · cosponsor
- Jake Ashby Republican · cosponsor
- George Borrello Republican · cosponsor
- Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick Republican · cosponsor
- Patrick M. Gallivan Republican · cosponsor
- Pete Harckham Democratic · cosponsor
- Pamela Helming Republican · cosponsor
- Mario Mattera Republican · cosponsor
- Dean Murray Republican · cosponsor
- Peter Oberacker Republican · cosponsor
- Thomas F. O'Mara Republican · cosponsor
- Anthony H. Palumbo Republican · cosponsor
- Steve Rhoads Republican · cosponsor
- Robert Rolison Republican · cosponsor
- Christopher Ryan Democratic · cosponsor
- James Tedisco Republican · cosponsor
- Lea Webb Democratic · cosponsor
- William Weber Republican · cosponsor
Action history (16)
- Jan 8, 2025 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE · upper
- Mar 18, 2025 1ST REPORT CAL.571 · upper
- Mar 19, 2025 2ND REPORT CAL. · upper
- Mar 20, 2025 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING · upper
- Apr 8, 2025 PASSED SENATE · upper
- Apr 8, 2025 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY · upper
- Apr 8, 2025 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE · lower
- Jan 7, 2026 DIED IN ASSEMBLY · lower
- Jan 7, 2026 RETURNED TO SENATE · lower
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 1ST REPORT CAL.511 · upper
- Mar 11, 2026 2ND REPORT CAL. · upper
- Mar 12, 2026 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING · upper
- May 5, 2026 PASSED SENATE · upper
- May 5, 2026 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY · upper
- May 5, 2026 REFERRED TO CODES · lower
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S00197 Summary: BILL NO S00197   SAME AS SAME AS A03050
  SPONSOR MARTINEZ   COSPNSR ADDABBO, ASHBY, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, GALLIVAN, HARCKHAM, HELMING, MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER, O'MARA, PALUMBO, RHOADS, ROLISON, RYAN C, TEDISCO, WEBB, WEBER   MLTSPNSR   Amd §353-a, Ag & Mkts L   Enacts "Tucker's law"; removes the provision that provides that any term of imprisonment for a violation of aggravated cruelty to animals may not exceed two years.
Go to top S00197 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
197
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sens. MARTINEZ, ADDABBO, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, GALLIVAN, HELMING, MATTERA, MURRAY, PALUMBO, ROLISON, TEDISCO, WEBER -- 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 sentenc- ing for the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 "Tucker's law". 3 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 353-a of the agriculture and markets 4 law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 3. Aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony. A defendant convicted of 7 this offense shall be sentenced pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision 8 one of section 55.10 of the penal law [ provided, however, that any term 9 of imprisonment imposed for violation of this section shall be a defi- 10 nite sentence, which may not exceed two years ]. 11 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 12 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00764-01-5
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