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S4287Senate2011-2012 SessionSame asA7988

Establishes seagrass protection act

Sponsor Owen H. JohnsonSD-4+3 co-sponsorsAffects Environment & Energy
Status
Signed by Governor
Impact
Pending
Outcome
Signed into law

Bill progress

Signed into law

What's happening

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Why it matters

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Who cares

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Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Owen H. Johnson

Senator · Senate District 4

History

  1. Signed chap.272
  2. Delivered to governor
  3. Returned to senate
  4. Repassed assembly
  5. Ordered to third reading cal.274
  6. Substituted for A7988A
  7. Referred to environmental conservation
  8. Delivered to assembly
  9. Passed senateVote 61–0
  10. Advanced to third reading
  11. 2nd report cal.
  12. 1st report cal.593
Show 13 earlier actions
  1. Print number 4287b
  2. Amend and recommit to environmental conservation
  3. Referred to environmental conservation
  4. Recommitted to rules
  5. Restored to third reading
  6. Substitution reconsidered
  7. Substituted by A7988
  8. Ordered to third reading cal.1498
  9. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  10. Reported and committed to commerce, economic development and small business
  11. Print number 4287a
  12. Amend and recommit to environmental conservation
  13. Referred to environmental conservation

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A7988Assembly

Establishes seagrass protection act

Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Robert Sweeney

Full text

The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.

Sponsor's memo

BILL NUMBER:S4287B REVISED 05/07/12

Title of bill

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing the seagrass protection act

Purpose

To authorize the Department of Environmental Conservation to adopt rules and regulations to regulate coastal and marine activities that threaten seagrass.

Summary of provisions

The bill amends Article 13 of the environmental conservation law by adding a new Title 7 granting DEC the authority to:

o Designate seagrass management areas; o Restrict the types of mechanically powered fishing gear in seagrass areas that could be harmful to the grass; o Make this information available on the DEC website; and o Develop and adopt, after consultation with stakeholders, a seagrass management plan for designated seagrass management areas to protect seagrass beds and preserve traditional recreational activities.

Justification

New York seagrass beds are a vital habitat and nursery grounds for numerous commercially, recreationally and ecologically important fish and shellfish species. Seagrass beds used to be much larger - some estimates reaching as large as 200,000 acres in 1930. Today only 21,803 acres remain. Seagrass is such a vital part of our underwater environment. The DEC should have authority to protect it. The substance of this legislation was recommended by the NYS Seagrass Task Force.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

Minimal.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred fiftieth day after it shall have become a law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.