New York Governor Pataki has signed into law Senate Bill 6332 introduced in March 1998 by Senator Kuhl, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill raises the fines for violating New York State’s Agriculture and Markets law, Section 359-a, the illegal transport of horses. The fines were raised from $100 to $250 for a first violation and from $500 to $1000 for a second conviction. The fines are per horse, per violation.

Another important change is the requirement for the courts to report convictions to the Department of Agriculture and Markets, enabling prosecutors and police to check for prior convictions. In the January 1998 Nickerson case, in an attempt to receive the smallest possible fine, the defendants told Broome County Assistant District Attorney Eichan that this was their first offense and they had no knowledge of the law. ADA Eichan learned from New York State Police and Essex County, New York ADA Debra Whitson that in fact Nickerson Livestock had another case pending in Essex County, NY and had been the company involved in the infamous “Syracuse 36” case that had drawn national attention on ESPN in 1995.

The law takes effect after November 1, 1998.

In recent months New York State Police have stepped up their enforcement of New York’s horse transport law the strongest law in the country passed in 1981. The law makes it illegal to transport horses in a double deck trailer and requires other safety features in trailers transporting 6 or more horses