A11094 • 2025

Relates to companion animals

Agriculture

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
Last action: 2026-04-24
Official status: In Assembly Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relates to companion animals

Relates to companion animals Provides that companion animals, as sentient beings, shall be considered victims of animal cruelty crimes, including but not limited to all offenses as defined in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law, and shall be treated as such in a court of law.

What This Bill Does

Relates to companion animals Provides that companion animals, as sentient beings, shall be considered victims of animal cruelty crimes, including but not limited to all offenses as defined in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law, and shall be treated as such in a court of law.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-24 Assembly
REFERRED TO CODES

Official Summary Text

Relates to companion animals
Provides that companion animals, as sentient beings, shall be considered victims of animal cruelty crimes, including but not limited to all offenses as defined in article twenty-six of the agriculture and markets law, and shall be treated as such in a court of law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          11094

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                     April 24, 2026
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Codes

        AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to companion animals

          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 a new article 243 to
     2  read as follows:
     3                                  ARTICLE 243
     4                              COMPANION ANIMALS
     5  SECTION 243.00 COMPANION ANIMALS ARE SENTIENT BEINGS.
     6  § 243.00 COMPANION ANIMALS ARE SENTIENT BEINGS.
     7    1. COMPANION ANIMALS, INCLUDING DOGS, CATS, AND SUCH OTHER ANIMALS  AS
     8  DEFINED  IN  SECTION  THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS
     9  LAW, ARE SENTIENT BEINGS CAPABLE OF EXPERIENCING PAIN, STRESS, AND FEAR,
    10  AS WELL AS LOVE AND AFFECTION, AND ARE ENTITLED TO RESPECT AND CONSIDER-
    11  ATION, PROTECTION FROM ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND CRUELTY, AND THE MAXIMIZATION
    12  OF THEIR WELFARE. FOR THAT  REASON,  SUCH  COMPANION  ANIMALS  SHALL  BE
    13  CONSIDERED  VICTIMS  OF ANIMAL CRUELTY CRIMES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
    14  TO ALL OFFENSES AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THE AGRICULTURE  AND
    15  MARKETS LAW, AND SHALL BE TREATED AS SUCH IN A COURT OF LAW.
    16    2.   NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  CONSTRUED  TO  REDUCE  ANY
    17  PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ANY ANIMAL UNDER ANY  OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW,
    18  RULE  OR REGULATION OR ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX OF THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS
    19  LAW.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15142-02-6