Prohibits the hunting of leucistic deer, including white deer and albino deer, or melanistic deer; authorizes the hunting of such deer on private property.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9450
IN SENATE
March 12, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
leucistic and melanistic deer
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 11-0901 of the environmental
2 conservation law is amended by adding a new paragraph b-1 to read as
3 follows:
4 b-1. (1) No person shall hunt leucistic deer, including white deer and
5 albino deer, or melanistic deer.
6 (2) The prohibition contained in subparagraph one of this paragraph
7 shall not apply to: the owner or lessee of the dwelling house, or
8 members of such owner's or lessee's immediate family residing therein,
9 or a person in their employ, or the guest of the owner or lessee of the
10 dwelling house acting with the consent of such owner or lessee.
11 (3) For the purpose of this paragraph, the following terms shall have
12 the following meanings:
13 (i) "leucistic deer" shall mean any deer displaying the recessive
14 genetic trait of leucism, or the absence of melanin pigment, causing the
15 deer's coat to be white in color on all parts of the body, excluding the
16 tarsal glands, head, or parts of the head; and
17 (ii) "melanistic deer" shall mean any deer displaying the genetic
18 mutation of melanism, causing the deer's coat to be black or dark brown
19 in color on all parts of the body, excluding the tarsal glands, head, or
20 parts of the head.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14099-01-5
