Bill Summary: A10645

• Department of Environmental Conservation must create a list by December 31, 2025 of wildlife and fish prohibited from import into New York, including all bat, rodent, and primate species unless exemption is granted.

• Department shall immediately suspend existing licenses and prohibit new licenses for importing wildlife or fish if state agencies find scientific evidence of zoonotic disease transmission risk, with exemptions available for universities, colleges, research agencies, and zoos demonstrating proper biosafety protocols.

• Live animal markets are prohibited from selling bats, rodents, and primates, and cannot sell invasive species or animals with zoonotic disease risk as determined by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

• Live animal markets must comply with animal welfare requirements including prohibitions on live dismemberment, inhumane confinement, caging wildlife with livestock, and selling animals showing illness signs.

• First violations of live animal market requirements result in written warning; subsequent violations are Class A misdemeanors punishable by fines of $250 to $1,000.