Bill Text: NY A05699 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts "Sir Henry's law" to require the informed consent of the owner of a companion animal prior to euthanizing such animal.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to agriculture [A05699 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A05699-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5699
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 14, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of
          A. ARROYO, GOTTFRIED, MOSLEY, PEOPLES-STOKES, PERRY,  RIVERA  --  read
          once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
        AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to informed
          consent of owners for euthanasia of a pet
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  "Sir Henry's law".
     3    §  2.  The  agriculture  and  markets  law  is amended by adding a new
     4  section 353-g to read as follows:
     5    § 353-g.  Humane  euthanasia  of  companion  animals;  owner  informed
     6  consent.  1.  Prior to the humane euthanasia of a companion animal which
     7  is not lost, strayed, homeless or abandoned, the veterinarian, who  will
     8  perform  such  procedure upon the animal, shall explain to the companion
     9  animal owner, who grants consent to having the companion animal  euthan-
    10  ized, in a truthful and easy to understand manner:
    11    (a)  the  various  methods which can be utilized to humanely euthanize
    12  the companion animal;
    13    (b) the benefits and risks of each such method;
    14    (c) the negative impacts upon the animal of each such method;
    15    (d) the alternative method of humane euthanasia to be utilized if  the
    16  preferred  method  cannot be humanely utilized, and the negative impacts
    17  and risks of the alternative method; and
    18    (e) fully answer any questions the companion  animal  owner  has  with
    19  regard to euthanizing the owner's pet.
    20    2.  No  companion animal which is not lost, strayed, homeless or aban-
    21  doned shall be euthanized by means of intracardiac injection unless  the
    22  animal is heavily sedated, anesthetized or comatose. However, a licensed
    23  veterinarian  may  perform  euthanasia  by  intracardiac  injection upon
    24  animals that are not heavily sedated, anesthetized or comatose only when
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03173-01-9
        A. 5699                             2
     1  such licensed veterinarian determines that such  intracardiac  injection
     2  is  the  most  humane  option available. Whenever a cardiac injection is
     3  administered by a licensed veterinarian upon an animal that is not heav-
     4  ily sedated, anesthetized or comatose, such veterinarian shall document,
     5  in  writing, the administration of such injection and the reason for its
     6  administration. Such documentation shall be retained for at least  three
     7  years.
     8    3.  The  owner of a companion animal that is humanely euthanized shall
     9  be allowed to remain with his or her pet during the  entire  process  of
    10  euthanasia, including when death is confirmed.
    11    4.  Both the veterinarian, who humanely euthanizes a companion animal,
    12  and the owner of such animal shall  sign  a  form,  established  by  the
    13  department,  stating that the provisions of this section have been fully
    14  complied with, that all humane euthanasia methods have  been  considered
    15  and explained, and all questions relating to the euthanasia process have
    16  been answered to the owner's satisfaction.
    17    5.  The  department may promulgate any rules and regulations necessary
    18  to implement the provisions of this section.
    19    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
    20  ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
    21  any  actions  necessary  to  implement the provisions of this act on its
    22  effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or  before
    23  such date.