Convicted animal cruelty offenders in Albany County, N.Y., would be required to register with an offender registry database under a new bill introduced into the Albany County Legislature.

Bill passage would make Albany County the second New York county to establish such a registry. In 2010 Suffolk County lawmakers voted to establish an animal abuse offender registry there.

If passed, the measure introduced by County Legislator Bryan Clenahan would require anyone convicted of animal cruelty in Albany County to submit their names, addresses, and a photograph to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office for inclusion in a county-wide database. Inclusion fees paid by offenders would cover database operation and maintenance costs. The Mohawk and Hudson Humane Society would maintain the database, said Brad Shear, that agency’s executive director.

Offenders who fail to provide information for the database would face penalties including fines, Shear said. In addition, breeders, animal shelters, and pet stores operating in the county would be required to consult the database before selling an animal or placing an animal into an adoptive home, Shear said