New York A 850: Relates to establishing the crimes of cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the second degree and first degree

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A00850 Summary:

BILL NOA00850 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORRosenthal

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COSPNSRSeawright

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Add §§120.80 & 120.85, Pen L

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Establishes the crimes of cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the second degree and cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the first degree when in the presence of a minor child.

Go to top A00850 Actions:

BILL NOA00850 

&nbsp

01/08/2025referred to codes

01/07/2026referred to codes

Go to topA00850 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA00850 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA00850 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 850

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 (Prefiled)

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to
 the Committee on Codes

 AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to establishing the crimes of
 cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the second
 degree and first degree

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding two new sections 120.80
 2 and 120.85 to read as follows:
 3 § 120.80 Cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the
 4 second degree.
 5 1. A person is guilty of cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or
 6 harass in the second degree when such person intentionally injures or
 7 kills, with no justifiable purpose, any companion animal with the intent
 8 to threaten, intimidate, or harass a family or household member who such
 9 person knows or should have known owned, possessed, leased, kept, or
 10 held such companion animal.
 11 2. For purposes of this section:
 12 (a) "Family or household member" shall have the same meaning as subdi-
 13 vision two of section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services
 14 law.
 15 (b) "Companion animal" shall have the same meaning as subdivision five
 16 of section three hundred fifty of the agriculture and markets law.
 17 Cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the second
 18 degree is a class D felony.
 19 § 120.85 Cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the
 20 first degree.
 21 1. A person is guilty of cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or
 22 harass in the first degree when such person intentionally injures or
 23 kills, with no justifiable purpose and in the presence of a minor child,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03116-01-5

 A. 850 2

 1 any companion animal with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or harass
 2 a family or household member who such person knows or should have known
 3 owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held such companion animal.
 4 2. For purposes of this section:
 5 (a) "Family or household member" shall have the same meaning as subdi-
 6 vision two of section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services
 7 law.
 8 (b) "Companion animal" shall have the same meaning as subdivision five
 9 of section three hundred fifty of the agriculture and markets law.
 10 (c) "Minor child" means an individual under the age of eighteen.
 11 (d) "Presence of a minor child" shall mean in the physical presence of
 12 a child under the age of eighteen knowing or having reason to know that
 13 a child is present and may see or hear such act.
 14 Cruelty to animals to threaten, intimidate or harass in the first
 15 degree is a class C felony.
 16 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 17 have become a law.

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