S 8293 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Enacts "Penny's law" to create the offenses of negligent and reckless handling of a dog, codifies the requirement that dogs be restrained, and requires signs in parks that dogs must be restrained

Summary
Enacts "Penny's law" to create the offenses of negligent handling of a dog and reckless handling of a dog; codifies the requirement that dogs be restrained in New York city; requires signage in parks that all dogs must be restrained.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced May 30, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026
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What changed between versions

S8293 S8293A · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill amendment adds new criminal offenses for dog handling, creates stricter penalties for dogs that injure others, and clarifies when dogs must be restrained at parks. The changes expand enforcement options and add requirements for police officers to notify victims of their rights after dog attacks.
Scope change
The bill now applies to negligent and reckless dog handling as separate offenses with specific penalties, and adds requirements for police notification after dog attacks.
ENFORCEMENT

Added requirement for responding police officers to provide written notice to victims about their right to file dangerous dog complaints after dog attacks.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the definition of reckless handling of a dog in the first degree to specifically include cases where a dog injures or kills a cat or another dog under handler instruction.

Added provisions requiring signage at all parks stating that dogs must be restrained unless otherwise noted.

ELIGIBILITY

Maintained existing provisions that dogs involved in first-degree reckless handling violations will be seized and impounded, and handlers will be ineligible for dog licenses.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Amendments
2
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
upper
Dec 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
PRINT NUMBER 8293A
upper
Dec 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
upper
May 30, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Luis Sepúlveda
Luis Sepúlveda
DDemocratic
NY
32