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Senate bill · S6573 (2025-26)

Requires municipal employees to attempt to identify and notify the owners of a deceased dog or cat recovered on public roads

Latest action May 29, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A1698, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

Michelle Hinchey

State Senator, District 41 · Democratic/Working Families

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Summary

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.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Agriculture and Markets Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of the bill is to require municipal officials to make a reasonable attempt to identify any indica of ownership on a deceased dog or cat they may find.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Agriculture · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Agriculture · New York State Senate, Codes · New York State Assembly, Codes · New York State Senate.

Cosponsors

Marianne Buttenschon, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and 2 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Democratic3
  • Republican1

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

The sponsor's argument

Why Michelle Hinchey says this is needed

Annually thousands of pets are killed in traffic in New York State. Their bodies may be disposed of at landfills by highway departments without any notice to the families, regardless of whether the pet has an identifying chip or collar. This bill will require municipal officials to make a reasonable effort to detect the ownership of a dog or cat killed on a public road if found in the normal course of their employment, and then make a reasonable effort to provide notification to the owner or animal management offi- cials concerning the animal's death. This law will create an opportunityto bring closure to the grief and agony felt by many families whose companion animal is "simply missing" one day and who suffer this loss not knowing what happened to their beloved family member.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMay 29, 2026Result: passed

    (58) (0) (0) (5)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Agriculture

    Senate AgricultureMay 7, 2026Result: passed

    (9) (0) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesJun 11, 2025Result: passed

    (20) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 11, 2025Result: passed

    (59) (0) (0) (4)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Agriculture

    Senate AgricultureMay 14, 2025Result: passed

    (8) (0) (0) (1)

Full history

  1. May 29, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. May 29, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. May 29, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CODES

    NY Assembly

  4. May 12, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  5. May 11, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

Show full history (17 earlier events)
  1. May 7, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.997

    1ST REPORT CAL.997

    NY Senate

  2. Jan 7, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.66

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.66

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

    NY Senate

  4. Jun 11, 2025

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  5. Jun 11, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  6. Jun 11, 2025

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1821

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1821

    NY Senate

  7. Jun 11, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  8. Jun 11, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO CODES

    NY Assembly

  9. Jun 6, 2025

    Amend and Recommit to Local Government

    AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    NY Senate

  10. Jun 6, 2025

    Amended

    AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1698A

    NY Assembly

  11. Jun 6, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED

    NY Assembly

  12. Jun 6, 2025

    Rules Report CAL.417

    RULES REPORT CAL.417

    NY Assembly

  13. Jun 5, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Assembly

  14. May 20, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO CODES

    NY Assembly

  15. May 14, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    NY Senate

  16. Mar 17, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

    NY Senate

  17. Jan 14, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE

    NY Assembly