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Senator · Senate District 40
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- 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.
Creates junior big game hunting license; describes rights and duties
In Assembly Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2582
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to big game hunting by people between the ages of twelve and sixteen years, with adult supervision
Purpose
To lower the hunting age for taking big game in New York to twelve.
Summary of provisions
Section One - amends § 11-0701 subdivision 2 of the environmental conservation law by adding a new paragraph d creating a junior big game license which provides individuals between the ages of twelve and sixteen the same privileges to hunt wild deer and bear as if the person held a big game license.
Section Two - adds a new subdivision 6 to § 11-0929 of the environmental conservation law requiring that an individual hunting with a junior big game license must be supervised by a parent or guardian or an individual over the age of eighteen with written permission from the parent or guardian.
Section Three - amends various sections of the environmental conservation law providing the same restrictions and requirement on junior big game licenses to licenses previously distributed by the department.
Section Four - amends subdivision 2 of § 11-0713 of the environmental conservation law which requires that parents or legal guardians consent to the issuance of the junior big game license and do so by providing their signature.
Section Five - amends subdivision 3 of § 11-0719 of the environmental conservation law which provides that the junior big game license can be revoked in the event the licensee does not adhere to regulations established by the department
Section Six - provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Currently, New York is the only state in the Northeast that requires individuals to be sixteen years of age to hunt big game. The ages for surrounding states are as follows:
New Jersey: 10 years old Vermont: No age limit Pennsylvania: 12 years old Connecticut: 12 years old Massachusetts: 12 years old
Having a higher hunting age provides several problems for sportsmen in New York. The first problem is that when educating a young hunter on the skill set for hunting big game, individuals must travel outside
New York. Having them travel outside New York places an additional hurdle on the cultivation of the next generation of hunters across the state. In a time when deer herds have reached astounding numbers, it is essential that we have as many people interested in continuing to hunt as possible.
A secondary problem that stems from individuals traveling outside the state to hunt is the loss of revenues the state faces. Hunters that travel spend money on gas, accommodations, equipment and food that lead to significant tax revenues for municipalities outside the state. Under the current formula, New York loses millions of dollars annually in revenue because it has a higher hunting age than bordering states.
Legislative history
Similar to A.11015 of 2006 2008: A.3878A - Held for Consideration in Environmental Conservation 2010: A.3056 - Referred to Environmental Conservation 5/1/12 Referred to Environmental Conservation
Fiscal implications
None to state.
Effective date
This law will take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.