S 703 NY
Relates to aggravated cruelty to animals
A state bill is a proposed law in a state legislature — separate from the U.S. Congress. Learn more →
Summary
This bill amends New York's animal cruelty law to modify the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals. The bill removes the requirement that the injury to a companion animal be serious, making the offense apply to any intentional physical injury caused with aggravated cruelty. Aggravated cruelty is defined as conduct intended to cause extreme physical pain or conduct done in an especially depraved or sadistic manner. The bill still requires that the person act with no justifiable purpose and intentionally cause the injury to the companion animal. The bill takes effect immediately.
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
Eliminates the requirement that injury be serious with respect to aggravated cruelty to animals.
Sponsor (1)
- Liz Krueger Democratic · primary
18 coauthors / cosponsors
- Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. Democratic · cosponsor
- Jake Ashby Republican · cosponsor
- George Borrello Republican · cosponsor
- Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick Republican · cosponsor
- Pete Harckham Democratic · cosponsor
- Pamela Helming Republican · cosponsor
- Brad Hoylman-Sigal · cosponsor
- Monica Martinez Democratic · cosponsor
- Mario Mattera Republican · cosponsor
- Dean Murray Republican · cosponsor
- Peter Oberacker Republican · cosponsor
- Thomas F. O'Mara Republican · cosponsor
- Steve Rhoads Republican · cosponsor
- Robert Rolison Republican · cosponsor
- José M. Serrano Democratic · cosponsor
- Toby Ann Stavisky Democratic · cosponsor
- James Tedisco Republican · cosponsor
- Lea Webb Democratic · cosponsor
Action history (16)
- Jan 8, 2025 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE · upper
- Mar 18, 2025 1ST REPORT CAL.572 · 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 CODES · 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.512 · upper
- Mar 11, 2026 2ND REPORT CAL. · upper
- Mar 12, 2026 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING · upper
- May 11, 2026 PASSED SENATE · upper
- May 11, 2026 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY · upper
- May 11, 2026 REFERRED TO CODES · lower
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
Skip to main content
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie
--> --> -->
Assembly Members
Legislative Info
Public Hearings
Speaker's Press
Assembly Reports
Committees & More
Bill Search Home Laws Legislative Calendar Public Hearing Schedule Assembly Calendars Assembly Committee Agenda Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page.
Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S00703 Summary: BILL NO S00703   SAME AS SAME AS A02019
  SPONSOR KRUEGER   COSPNSR ADDABBO, ASHBY, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, HARCKHAM, HELMING, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MARTINEZ, MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER, O'MARA, RHOADS, ROLISON, SERRANO, STAVISKY, TEDISCO, WEBB   MLTSPNSR   Amd §353-a, Ag & Mkts L   Eliminates the requirement that injury be serious with respect to aggravated cruelty to animals.
Go to top S00703 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
703
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sens. KRUEGER, ADDABBO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, HELMING, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, MARTINEZ, MATTERA, ROLISON, SERRANO, STAVISKY, 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 aggra- vated cruelty to animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and 2 markets law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no 5 justifiable purpose, [ he or she ] such person intentionally kills or 6 intentionally causes [ serious ] physical injury to a companion animal 7 with aggravated cruelty. For purposes of this section, "aggravated 8 cruelty" shall mean conduct which: (i) is intended to cause extreme 9 physical pain; or (ii) is done or carried out in an especially depraved 10 or sadistic manner. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02486-01-5
Go to top
Sitemap
Request Information
Directions and Maps
Comments
Data from OpenStates. View on OpenStates →
Comments