BILL NUMBER: S9427
SPONSOR: CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law and the executive law, in relation to
threats or harm to animals as a means of coercion or coercive control
 
PURPOSE:
To amend the definition of coercive control to include the use of
threats or harm to animals.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the Penal Law to expand the definition of coercion to
include physical injury to animals.
Section 2: Amends the Executive Law to update training programs under
the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to incorporate
threats or harm to animals under the definition of "coercive control."
Section 3. Provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Far too often in incidents of domestic violence, companion animals are
used by abusers as a tool to maintain control and ingrain a sense of
fear in their victim. This can take the form of threatening to hurt or
kill pets and using the terror and guilt as leverage for the abuser to
deny their victim of ways out. The National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence has found that more than 70% of pet owners entering domestic
violence shelters report that their abuser has threatened, injured, or
killed family pets. Further, nearly 90% of pet abuse committed by a
domestic abuser is committed in front of their victim with the intent of
exerting revenge or control.
While such instances are understood as coercive control within academic
circles and are known to be a foini of psychological and emotional
abuse, New York State law does not clearly lay that out under the defi-
nition of "coercion" in the penal law or within the policies and
programs of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic
Violence. The current law leaves victims and their pets at risk of being
trapped in abusive relationships, with threats of violence against their
pets used to punish or limit the independence of victims. However,
states have been responding to this issue. The Animal Legal Defense Fund
2024 report ranking animal protection laws by state noted a promising
trend with four states, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and
Vermont, enacting laws to add animal cruelty to their definition of
coercive control. New York has the chance to continue this promising
trend, protecting in one act of legislation both victims of domestic
violence and their companion animals from abuse. This legislation takes
an important step towards preventing further harm through domestic
violence by criminalizing behavior exploiting the bond between a victim
and their companion animal, bringing justice and protection for both the
abused person and animal.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S9427: 135.60 penal law, 135.60(1) penal law, 575 executive law, 575(3) executive law