Bill Text: NY A05850 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits the participation of certain animals in traveling animal acts; prohibits the department of environmental conservation from issuing permits or licenses allowing participation of certain animals in traveling animal acts; excludes certain permanent performing institutions; imposes a civil penalty not to exceed $1000 for a violation.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-24 - referred to environmental conservation [A05850 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A05850-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5850

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 24, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GLICK,  BORES, SIMONE, LEE, COLTON, BURDICK,
          ROSENTHAL, EPSTEIN, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, DINOWITZ,  SIMON,  STECK,  DAVILA,
          SHIMSKY,  McDONOUGH, PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Environmental Conservation

        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          prohibiting  the  participation of certain animals in traveling animal
          acts

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

     1    Section  1.  The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a
     2  new section 11-0541 to read as follows:
     3  § 11-0541. Traveling animal acts.
     4    1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person  shall  allow
     5  for the participation of a covered animal in a traveling animal act.
     6    2.  The department shall not issue a permit or license, including, but
     7  not limited to, an education or exhibition permit or  an  endangered  or
     8  threatened  species  license that would allow for the participation of a
     9  covered animal in a traveling animal act.
    10    3. This section shall not apply to a performance that takes place at a
    11  non-mobile, permanent institution or other fixed facility.
    12    4. For the purposes of this section, the following  terms  shall  have
    13  the following meanings:
    14    (a)  "Covered animal" shall mean any of the following animals, includ-
    15  ing hybrids thereof:
    16    (i) Felidae, but excluding domestic cats;
    17    (ii) Kangaroo;
    18    (iii) Non-human primate;
    19    (iv) Ursidae; and
    20    (v) Wallaby.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03846-02-5
        A. 5850                             2

     1    (b) "Mobile or traveling housing facility" shall mean  a  transporting
     2  vehicle  such  as a truck, trailer, or railway car, used to transport or
     3  house animals while traveling for exhibition or other performance.
     4    (c) "Performance" shall mean any exhibition or public showing, presen-
     5  tation, display, exposition, fair, animal act, circus, ride, trade show,
     6  petting  zoo,  carnival,  parade,  race, or similar undertaking in which
     7  covered animals are required to perform tricks, give rides,  or  partic-
     8  ipate  as accompaniments for the entertainment, amusement, or benefit of
     9  a live audience.
    10    (d) "Traveling animal act"  shall  mean  any  performance  of  covered
    11  animals  where  such  animals  are  transported  to,  from,  or  between
    12  locations for the purpose of such performance, in a mobile or  traveling
    13  housing facility.
    14    5.  A violation of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty
    15  of not more than one thousand dollars.
    16    § 2. This act shall take effect December 31, 2026.