Bill > A00665

This bill establishes a comprehensive animal cruelty crime database in New York state that will track convictions related to animal abuse, fighting, neglect, and abandonment. The database will include detailed information such as the names and ages of offenders aged 18 and older, specific details about the animal cruelty acts, dates of the incidents, and the county where they occurred. The legislative findings highlight the significant psychological research linking animal cruelty to broader patterns of violent behavior, noting that the FBI has recognized since the 1970s that serial killers often have histories of animal abuse, and the American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorder. The database will be made available in both print and electronic formats to law enforcement entities, district attorneys, humane societies, animal protection associations, and animal control officers. Importantly, the bill does not prevent municipalities from creating their own additional animal abuse registries or tracking systems. The database aims to facilitate better analysis and protection of animals by providing a centralized record of animal cruelty convictions. The act will take effect twelve months after becoming law, with provisions allowing for preparatory rule-making in the interim.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A665