STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6397 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. TANNOUSIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to enhanced penalties for aggravated 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] such person intentionally kills or 6 intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal with 7 aggravated cruelty. For purposes of this section, "aggravated cruelty" 8 shall mean conduct which: (i) is intended to cause extreme physical 9 pain or serious physical injury; [or] (ii) is done or carried out in an 10 especially depraved or sadistic manner; or (iii) is committed with the 11 use of a weapon. 12 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05583-01-5