NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6854
SPONSOR: Palmesano TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
removing restrictions on crossbow size and draw weight when used for
hunting
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To remove restrictions on crossbow limb width and draw weight
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
(1) Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of part EE
of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014
(2) Removes subparagraph one, two or four of paragraph b of 5 subdivi-
sion one from the 2019 amendment and adds subdivision four.
JUSTIFICATION:
The current crossbow specifications are arbitrary and can be ineffective
for hunting deer humanely. Removing the current restrictions would be
more in line with the rest of the country as well as the current cross-
bow technology.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024 - A.4372 - held in environmental conservation
2022 - A.9724 - held in environmental conservation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6854
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PALMESANO -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
removing restrictions on crossbow size and draw weight when used for
hunting
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section
2 11-0901 of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of
3 part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as
4 follows:
5 (9) with a crossbow unless [such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
6 string, either compound or recurve, that launches a minimum fourteen
7 inch bolt, not including point, mounted upon a stock with a trigger that
8 holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The] the trig-
9 ger unit of such crossbow [must have] has a working safety. [The minimum
10 limb width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a minimum
11 peak draw weight of one hundred pounds and a maximum peak draw weight of
12 two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of such crossbow from
13 buttstock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four inches.]
14 § 2. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
15 of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 7 of part EE
16 of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
17 (9) with a crossbow unless [such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
18 string, either compound or recurve, that launches a minimum fourteen
19 inch bolt, not including point, mounted upon a stock with a trigger that
20 holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The] the trig-
21 ger unit of such crossbow [must have] has a working safety. [The minimum
22 limb width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a minimum
23 peak draw weight of one hundred pounds and a maximum peak draw weight of
24 two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of such crossbow from
25 buttstock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four inches.]
26 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01906-01-5
