STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 776 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 11, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to aggra- vated cruelty to animals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and 2 markets law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no 5 justifiable purpose, he or she intentionally kills or intentionally 6 causes [serious] physical injury to a companion animal with aggravated 7 cruelty. For purposes of this section, "aggravated cruelty" shall mean 8 conduct which: (i) is intended to cause extreme physical pain; or (ii) 9 is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner. 10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00936-01-3