New York Senate Bill S05715

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/28/25
• Refer: 2/28/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to the issuance of appearance tickets for certain violations of the agriculture and markets law when the person is charged with a crime for which the court may order the posting of a security.

Summary

This bill amends New York’s Criminal Procedure Law to expand the circumstances under which police or other authorized officers may issue an appearance ticket instead of making a custodial arrest. Specifically, it adds a new category of cases involving crimes for which a court may order the posting of security under section 373(6) of the Agriculture and Markets Law. In practical terms, the bill ties the appearance-ticket rule to certain animal-related or agriculture-and-markets offenses where a security deposit may be required by the court. The measure is narrow and procedural rather than substantive: it does not create new crimes or change the penalties in the Agriculture and Markets Law. Instead, it modifies the arrest-and-release framework in Criminal Procedure Law section 150.20 so that people charged with these covered offenses may be handled by appearance ticket under the same general system used for other listed offenses. The bill takes effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would amend Criminal Procedure Law section 150.20 by adding a new exception allowing appearance tickets for defendants charged with crimes covered by Agriculture and Markets Law section 373(6), where a court may require security. This affects law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and defendants by broadening pre-arraignment release options for a specific class of agriculture- and animal-related offenses. It does not alter the underlying Agriculture and Markets Law offenses themselves, but it changes the procedure for initiating cases involving those offenses.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears administrative and limited in scope, suggesting a procedural adjustment rather than a controversial policy change. The available record does not show any recorded sentiment from legislators or stakeholders.

Contention

The bill’s only apparent point of contention would be whether appearance tickets are appropriate for offenses tied to Agriculture and Markets Law section 373(6), especially in cases where a court may later require security. Supporters would likely view the change as a sensible, limited expansion of noncustodial processing for certain offenses, while critics might worry it reduces immediate enforcement leverage in cases involving animal welfare or other regulated conduct. No specific objections or named opponents are present in the provided materials.