A 8341: Requires the establishment of health and safety guidelines for cats living in retail food stores to ensure the humane treatment of such cats while adhering to relevant health code provisions.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8341 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY May 13, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab- lishing the health and safety guidelines for cats living in retail food stores The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new 2 section 381-a to read as follows: 3 § 381-a. Health and safety guidelines for cats living in retail food 4 stores. 1. For purposes of this section: 5 (a) "Retail food store" shall have the same meaning as section five 6 hundred of this chapter. 7 (b) "Responsible care standards" shall mean the minimum standards for 8 the humane care of cats living in retail food stores as established by 9 the department. 10 (c) "Cat zone" shall mean an area within a retail food store, separate 11 from food preparation and storage areas, where a cat can rest and 12 retreat. 13 2. The department shall establish health and safety guidelines 14 pertaining to the humane and sanitary treatment of cats living in retail 15 food stores. Such guidelines shall authorize retail food store owners 16 or operators to keep cats in retail food stores in adherence with rele- 17 vant health code provisions, provided that such retail food store is in 18 compliance with responsible care standards. 19 3. The department shall establish responsible care standards for the 20 health and safety guidelines, which shall include, but not be limited 21 to: 22 (a) requirements for regular veterinary check-ups and preventative 23 care, including vaccinations; 24 (b) mandatory spaying or neutering; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11146-03-5 
 A. 8341 2 1 (c) guidelines for proper nutrition, including the provision of 2 adequate and appropriate food and fresh water; 3 (d) requirements for the provision of safe and comfortable cat zones; 4 and 5 (e) standards for maintaining a clean and sanitary environment. 6 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 7 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 8 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 9 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 10 on or before such date.