Requires municipal employees to attempt to identify and notify the owners of a deceased dog or cat recovered on public roads by such municipal employees.
Summary
S06573 would add a new section to the Agriculture and Markets Law requiring municipal employees who, in the normal course of their duties, recover the body of a dog or cat killed on a public road to make a reasonable effort to identify the animal’s owner. The bill specifies examples of ownership indicators, such as tags, license numbers, or other identifiers, and also requires a reasonable effort to notify the owner or an animal management service about the animal’s death.
The measure is narrowly focused on the handling of deceased companion animals found on public roads and does not create a broader animal control regime. It establishes a procedural duty for municipal employees and could affect local public works, highway, sanitation, animal control, and similar personnel who encounter dead pets while performing public duties. The bill takes effect 180 days after becoming law.
Impact
The bill amends the Agriculture and Markets Law by creating a new section 377-b, imposing a new notification and identification obligation on municipal employees who recover deceased dogs or cats on public roads. It would require municipalities and their employees to adopt reasonable procedures for checking tags, license numbers, or other identifiers and for contacting owners or an animal management service, potentially affecting local operational practices and recordkeeping.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong and unanimous support for the bill. It passed the Senate Agriculture Committee 8-0, the Senate Rules Committee 20-0, and the full Senate 59-0, indicating broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the recorded proceedings.
Contention
No committee transcript or recorded debate is provided, and the votes were unanimous, so there is no documented substantive opposition in the available materials. Any practical concerns would likely center on the administrative burden placed on municipal employees and local governments, including what constitutes a “reasonable effort” to identify owners and notify them, but those issues are not reflected as formal objections in the supplied record.
Same As
Requires municipal officials to attempt to identify and notify the owners of a deceased dog or cat recovered on public roads by such municipal employees.
Requires municipal officials to attempt to identify and notify the owners of a deceased dog or cat recovered on public roads by such municipal employees.
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