Bill Text: NY A01170 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty to the police, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, peace officer, district attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agriculture and markets, or other appropriate government agency and to turn over necessary records.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to higher education [A01170 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A01170-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1170
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 14, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Higher Education
        AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to mandating the report-
          ing of suspected animal cruelty by veterinarians
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 2 of section 6714 of
     2  the education law, as added by chapter 653 of  the  laws  of  2003,  are
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (a)  When  a veterinarian reasonably and in good faith suspects that a
     5  companion animal's injury, illness or condition is the result of  animal
     6  cruelty  or  a  violation  of any state or federal law pertaining to the
     7  care, treatment, abuse or neglect of a companion animal, the veterinari-
     8  an [may] shall report the incident and disclose records  concerning  the
     9  companion  animal's condition and treatment to the police, duly incorpo-
    10  rated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals,  peace  officer,
    11  district  attorney's office, animal control officer, department of agri-
    12  culture and markets, other appropriate government agency, or  any  agent
    13  thereof.
    14    (b) When a veterinarian reasonably believes that disclosure of records
    15  as  defined  in  this  section,  is  necessary  to protect the health or
    16  welfare of a companion animal, a person or the public, the  veterinarian
    17  [may] shall disclose such records to the police, duly incorporated soci-
    18  ety  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty to animals, peace officer, animal
    19  control officer, department of agriculture and markets, other  appropri-
    20  ate government agency, or any agent thereof.
    21    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    22  have become a law.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03390-01-9