The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.New York bill requires animal cruelty offenders to register on a public database and pay a $50 annual fee
Last action · January 7, 2026: REFERRED TO AGRICULTURESponsors: Jim Tedisco and 7 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New York requires individuals convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals or animal fighting under to register their name and address with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, pay a $50 annual registry fee, and face bans on owning or working with animals until completing psychological testing.
Creates a public and law-enforcement database for animal abuse offenders that restricts animal ownership and employment until a court evaluates psychiatric fitness.
- Buster's Law was enacted in New York in 1999 to establish felony penalties for aggravated cruelty to animals, following a severe case of animal abuse. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
persons convicted of violating Buster's Law
Must register annually, pay a $50 fee, face restrictions on animal ownership and employment, and undergo psychiatric testing to lift registration requirements.
law enforcement entities
Gain access to the public registry database containing names and addresses of convicted animal cruelty offenders.
pet stores and animal rescues
Gains access to the registry and is prohibited from employing individuals registered on the database where companion animals are present.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is required to register on the public animal cruelty registry?
Who has access to the animal cruelty registry?
How can an individual stop registering on the registry?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 7, 2026SenateCommitteeREFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
- Jan 10, 2025SenateCommitteeREFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Statewide Animal Abuser Registry
The bill preempts local animal cruelty registries by creating a uniform statewide public database overseen by the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.nysenate.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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