BILL NUMBER: S470
SPONSOR: TEDISCO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to expand-
ing the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm to
animals during the commission of a felony
 
PURPOSE:
To enhance laws relating to animal cruelty by including harm caused
during the commission of a felony or flight there from.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This act shall be known and may be cited as "Kirby & Quigley's Law."
Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and markets law, is
amended to criminalize the intentional physical injury or death of a
companion animal that is caused during the course of commission of a
felony or the immediate flight there from.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
On the evening of February 17th, 2016, Denise Krohn returned to her
Florida home in Montgomery County, after being out for two hours, to
find her house was broken into and she experienced the horror of seeing
her family's two beloved Goldendoodle dogs, "Kirby" and "Quigley," lying
on the floor in pools of blood from gunshot wounds.
In recent years, cases of drug traffickers cutting open the bellies of
puppies to transport liquid heroin into this country opened our eyes to
the depths criminals will sink to accomplish their criminal enterprises.
Although the current definition of aggravated cruelty to animals will
most likely apply to the actions of these depraved individuals, we
cannot ignore the potential harm to other innocent animals misused or
even killed in the commission of felonies.
Furthermore, in their total disregard for the lives of pets, arsonists
and burglars often perpetrate horrendous acts of cruelty to human
victims by not only destroying or stealing property, but also by harming
their beloved animals that are either left to perish in flames or harmed
by other means in their attempt to protect their masters from intruders.
This bill enhances aggravated cruelty to animals statute by including
specific provisions related to criminal activity, thus allowing society
to hold criminals responsible for the full extent of the harm they
cause.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
01/30/15: S.2936 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
05/12/15: S.2936Passed Senate died in assembly
01/06/16: S.2936 Referred to agriculture
03/07/16: S.2936 PASSED SENATE
01/10/17: S.1680 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/17/17: S.1680 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
01/17/17: S.1680 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL. 41
01/30/17: S.1680 PASSED SENATE
01/30/17: S.1680 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
01/30/17: S.1680 referred to agriculture
01/03/18: S.1680 died in assembly
01/03/18: S.1680 returned to senate
01/03/18: S.1680 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
05/23/18: S.1680 AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
05/23/18: S.1680 PRINT NUMBER 1680A
06/05/18: S.1680A REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/05/18: S.1680A COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/06/18: S.1680A ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1531
06/06/18: S.1680A PASSED SENATE
06/06/18: S.1680A DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
06/06/18: S.1680A referred to codes
06/06/18: S.1680A referred to codes
01/09/19: S.186 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
02/11/19: S.186 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL
WELFARE
05/22/19: S.186 1ST REPORT CAL.889
05/29/19: S.186 2ND REPORT CAL.
05/30/19: S.186 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
06/20/19: S.186 COMMITTED TO RULES
01/08/20: S.186 REFERRED TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL WELFARE
02/03/20: S.186 1ST REPORT CAL.323
02/04/20: S.186 2ND REPORT CAL.
02/05/20: S.186 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
01/06/21: S.197 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/05/22: S.197 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/04/23: S.96 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/03/24: S.96 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take immediately.

Statutes affected:
S470: 353-a agriculture and markets law, 353-a(1) agriculture and markets law