Authorizes seniors and persons who are severely disabled to use an ATV to enter and exit certain lands where ice fishing is permitted by the department of environmental conservation when conditions are reasonably safe for the operation of ATV's.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7164--A
Cal. No. 1267
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 3, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- recom-
mitted to the Committee on Transportation in accordance with Senate
Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to
first report, amended on first report, ordered to a second report and
ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of second report
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
certain persons to use an ATV to enter and exit certain lands for ice
fishing
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2403 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
3 2-a. Public lands permitting ice fishing. (a) During times when ice
4 conditions are reasonably safe for the operation of ATVs, as determined
5 by guidelines provided by the department of environmental conservation,
6 and only on lands where snowmobile use is permitted by the department of
7 environmental conservation, including wildlife management areas, state
8 forests, forest preserves, and state parks, a person may operate an ATV
9 to enter and exit such lands when such person is sixty-five years of age
10 or older or such person is severely disabled. Such persons may utilize
11 an ATV as the operator or passenger and shall restrict such usage to
12 traveling to and from ice fishing locations.
13 (b) For the purposes of this subdivision, "severely disabled" shall
14 mean any person having any one or more of the following impairments,
15 disabilities or conditions which are permanent in nature and have been
16 certified by a physician:
17 (i) limited or no use of one or both lower limbs;
18 (ii) neuro-muscular dysfunction which severely limits mobility;
19 (iii) a physical or mental impairment or condition other than those
20 specified in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph, but which is
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11283-04-6
S. 7164--A 2
1 of such nature as to impose unusual hardship in accessing ice fishing
2 locations and such impairment or condition is certified by a physician,
3 physician assistant or nurse practitioner, to the extent authorized by
4 law and consistent with subdivision three of section six thousand nine
5 hundred two of the education law, duly licensed to practice in this
6 state, or a podiatrist duly licensed to practice podiatry in this state
7 or an optometrist duly licensed to practice optometry in this state, as
8 constituting an equal degree of disability (specifying the particular
9 condition) so as to prevent such person from getting around without
10 great difficulty in accordance with subdivision two of this section;
11 (iv) blindness.
12 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
