Requires animal shelters that receive state funding to annually report on intake and disposition of animals; such reports shall be available to the public.

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S3162-2011 Actions

• Jan 13, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 3162A
• Jan 13, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
• Feb 10, 2011: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

S3162-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3162

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requiring
certain animal shelters to prepare annual reports on the number of animal
intakes and dispositions

PURPOSE:

To promote better care of animals placed in shelters by requiring
greater transparency on the part of state funded animal shelters
with regard to both the intake and disposition of animals.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new
section 374-a which provides that any animal shelter that receives
state funding shall prepare an annual report by January first of each
year. Such annual report shall include the number of animal intakes,
including, but not limited to animals that were surrendered by
owners; were brought in by animal control, specifying from which
jurisdiction; and were brought in as strays by someone other than the
animal's owner. The report shall also include the number of animal
dispositions, including, but not limited to animals that were
adopted; were released to owners, or were transferred to other
facilities, specifying the facility. The report shall include the
number of animals that have died, specifying the reason for death,
including deaths by euthanasia and the reasons for such euthanasia
deaths. Each shelter that maintains a website, shall post a notice on
its website stating that its report is available to be viewed by the
public, and shall maintain each annual report for three years. Each
animal shelter shall maintain at least one printed copy of their
annual report to be viewed by the public on site upon request.

Section two provides the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

As with most organizations that receive public funding, animal
shelters that receive state funding are accountable to the public.
The number of animals that are cared for by each shelter and the
source of the animals are of interest to the public. The disposition
of such animals is of equal interest, and an important indicator
of the quality of and commitment to the rescue and care of animals. By
requiring shelters that receive state funding to reveal certain spec-
ified information in the form of an annual report, this legislation
will promote transparency and accountability, which in turn may lead
to improved animal care and more favorable dispositions. The
financial burden to the shelters is minimal when balanced against the
potential for great gains in the quality of shelter practices.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.


FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal cost to state funded animal shelters to produce annual reports.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that animal
shelters subject to this act shall have completed their first annual
report no later than January 1, 2013.

S3162-2011 Text

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

                                    3162

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 10, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture

  AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to  requir-
    ing certain animal shelters to prepare annual reports on the number of
    animal intakes and dispositions

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a  new
  section 374-a to read as follows:

    S  374-A.  ANIMAL  SHELTER  ANNUAL REPORTS. 1. ANY ANIMAL SHELTER THAT
  RECEIVES STATE FUNDING SHALL, BY JANUARY FIRST OF EACH YEAR, PREPARE  AN
  ANNUAL REPORT DISCLOSING:

    (A)  THE  NUMBER  OF  ANIMAL  INTAKES,  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO
  ANIMALS THAT WERE:

    (I) SURRENDERED BY OWNERS;
    (II) BROUGHT IN BY ANIMAL CONTROL, SPECIFIED BY JURISDICTION; AND
    (III) STRAYS TAKEN IN BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE OWNER;
    (B) THE NUMBER OF ANIMAL DISPOSITIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO
  ANIMALS THAT:

    (I) WERE ADOPTED;
    (II) WERE RELEASED TO OWNERS;
    (III) WERE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER FACILITIES, SPECIFIED BY FACILITY; AND
    (IV) DIED, SPECIFYING THE REASON FOR DEATH, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
  TO  NATURAL  CAUSES  OR  EUTHANASIA,  AND SPECIFYING THE REASON FOR SUCH
  EUTHANASIA.
    2. EACH ANIMAL SHELTER SHALL, PROVIDED SUCH ANIMAL SHELTER MAINTAINS A
  WEBSITE, POST A NOTICE ON ITS WEBSITE THAT SUCH REPORT IS  AVAILABLE  TO
  BE  VIEWED BY THE PUBLIC AND SHALL MAINTAIN EACH ANNUAL REPORT FOR THREE
  YEARS.
    3. EACH ANIMAL SHELTER SHALL MAINTAIN AT LEAST  ONE  PRINTED  COPY  OF
  SUCH ANNUAL REPORT TO BE VIEWED BY THE PUBLIC ON SITE UPON REQUEST.
    S  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
  animal shelters subject to this act shall  have  completed  their  first
  annual report no later than January 1, 2013.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD04657-01-1