NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1980
SPONSOR: Glick TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
excluding certain animals from the definition of wildlife
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To clarify the word 'wildlife' in the laws of New York as not to include
cats and dogs.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Amends Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 11-0103 of the environ-
mental conservation law to clarify that companion animals are not
considered wildlife.
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, the definition of wildlife contained in law is far too broad
and ambiguous. The elusiveness of the law has resulted in the regretta-
ble treatment of domesticated cats and dogs as 'wildlife.' Consequently,
these domesticated animals may be trapped and killed inhumanely by
nuisance wildlife control operators.
In the agriculture and markets law, cats and dogs are clearly defined as
'companion animals.' It is key that the definitions of cats and dogs are
also clarified in the environmental and conservation law in order to
protect these domesticated animals from being disposed of as 'nuisance
wildlife.' We feel that it is imperative that this disturbing practice
comes to end in order to protect some of New Yorker's favorite pets.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2003: Referred to Rules.
2004: Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2005: A1821 Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2006: A1821 passed Assembly.
2008: A2611 Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2009-10: Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2011-2012: A3593 Referred to Environmental Conservation.
2013-2014: Amended and referred to Codes.
2015: Referred to codes
2016: Passed Assembly
2017: Advanced to third reading.
2019-20: A.1224 Referred to Environmental Conservation
2023-24: A.5778 Referred to Environmental Conservation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1980
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
excluding certain animals from the definition of wildlife
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 11-0103 of the
2 environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 777 of the laws of
3 1976, is amended to read as follows:
4 a. "Wildlife" means wild game and all other animal life existing in a
5 wild state, except companion animals as defined in section three hundred
6 fifty of the agriculture and markets law, fish, shellfish and crustacea.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04717-01-5
