Prohibits the use of primates in entertainment acts; prohibits the department of environmental conservation for issuing any license or permit that would authorize the use of a primate in an entertainment act.
This bill, titled the “Primate Protection Act,” would prohibit any person from using or causing primates to be used in entertainment acts in New York. The bill defines primates broadly to include great apes, monkeys, and related species, and defines entertainment acts to cover circuses, carnivals, trade shows, parades, races, performances, rides, and similar live-audience amusements. It also includes legislative findings describing the physical and psychological harms to primates used in entertainment and the state’s interest in preventing that use.
The bill creates a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, enforceable by the commissioner under the Agriculture and Markets Law. It exempts accredited Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions and wildlife sanctuaries. In addition, it amends the Environmental Conservation Law to bar the Department of Environmental Conservation from issuing any license or permit that would authorize primates in entertainment acts. The act would take effect two years after becoming law, with immediate authorization for implementing regulations.
The bill’s impact would be to add a new statewide animal welfare restriction and limit both private conduct and state permitting related to primate performances. It would affect circuses, traveling shows, fairs, and other entertainment operators that use primates, while leaving accredited zoos and sanctuaries outside the ban. It would also require state agencies to align permitting and enforcement practices with the new prohibition.
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to assess from the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears strongly protective of animal welfare and framed as a public-interest and conservation issue. The findings emphasize cruelty prevention and the educational inaccuracy of primate performances.
The main point of contention likely concerns the scope of the ban and its effect on entertainment businesses that currently use primates, as well as the breadth of the definition of “entertainment act.” Supporters would likely focus on animal welfare, while opponents may argue about economic impact, enforcement, and whether the exemptions for zoos and sanctuaries are sufficient or whether the bill goes too far in restricting lawful exhibitions.
The bill would amend the Agriculture and Markets Law by adding a new section prohibiting the use of primates in entertainment acts and authorizing civil penalties for violations, and it would amend the Environmental Conservation Law to prevent the Department of Environmental Conservation from issuing permits or licenses authorizing such use. It would directly affect entertainment operators, animal exhibitors, and any entity using primates in circuses, performances, parades, carnivals, trade shows, or similar events, while exempting accredited zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
No votes or committee discussion were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the materials. The bill text itself reflects a strongly supportive posture toward animal welfare protections, with findings asserting that primate entertainment causes harm and should be prohibited. The overall framing suggests the bill is intended as a humane treatment measure rather than a regulatory compromise.
The likely areas of contention are the breadth of the prohibition, the inclusion of many types of live entertainment within the definition of “entertainment act,” and the practical impact on businesses and exhibitors that use primates. Supporters are likely to emphasize cruelty prevention, while opponents may raise concerns about economic effects, enforcement burdens, and whether the exemptions for accredited zoos and wildlife sanctuaries create uneven treatment among animal facilities.