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S06360 Summary:

S06360 Actions:

S06360 Committee Votes:

S06360 Floor Votes:

S06360 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         6360--A
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     March 11, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by Sens. HARCKHAM, COMRIE, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environ-
          mental Conservation -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to clar-
          ifying provisions regarding the use of crossbows for hunting
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 11-0103 of the environmental  conservation  law  is
     2  amended by adding a new subdivision 33 to read as follows:
     3    33.  "Long  bow"  includes  longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and
     4  crossbows.
     5    § 2. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
     6  of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of part  EE
     7  of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
     8    (9)  with  a  crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
     9  string, either compound or recurve, [that launches  a  minimum  fourteen
    10  inch  bolt,  not  including  point,] mounted upon a stock with a trigger
    11  that holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The  trig-
    12  ger  unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum limb
    13  width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a]  minimum  peak
    14  draw  weight of such crossbow shall be one hundred pounds [and a maximum
    15  peak draw weight of two hundred pounds. The minimum  overall  length  of
    16  such  crossbow  from  buttstock  to  front of limbs shall be twenty-four
    17  inches].
    18    § 3. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
    19  of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 7 of part  EE
    20  of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
    21    (9)  with  a  crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
    22  string, either compound or recurve, [that launches  a  minimum  fourteen
    23  inch  bolt,  not  including  point,] mounted upon a stock with a trigger
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10843-02-5
        S. 6360--A                          2
 
     1  that holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The  trig-
     2  ger  unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum limb
     3  width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a]  minimum  peak
     4  draw  weight of such crossbow shall be one hundred pounds [and a maximum
     5  peak draw weight of two hundred pounds. The minimum  overall  length  of
     6  such  crossbow  from  buttstock  to  front of limbs shall be twenty-four
     7  inches].
     8    § 4. Paragraph a of subdivision 1, paragraphs a and b of subdivision 8
     9  and subdivision 10 of section 11-0907 of the environmental  conservation
    10  law, paragraph a of subdivision 1 as amended and subdivision 10 as added
    11  by  section  14  and  paragraphs  a and b of subdivision 8 as amended by
    12  section 16 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended  to
    13  read as follows:
    14    a.  Wild  deer  without  antlers or having antlers measuring less than
    15  three inches in length shall not be taken unless it is taken (1) by long
    16  bow in a special long bow season established in subdivision [3] three of
    17  this section, or (2)  by  muzzle-loading  firearm  [or  crossbow]  in  a
    18  special  muzzle-loading  firearm  season  established in subdivision [8]
    19  eight of this section, or (3) by long bow  in  Westchester  and  Suffolk
    20  Counties  in  a year in which a regular season for deer of either sex is
    21  established for such counties, or (4) in a special open season for  deer
    22  of  either  sex  fixed by regulation pursuant to subdivision [5] five or
    23  [7] seven of section 11-0903 of this title, or (5) pursuant to a special
    24  antlerless deer license in a special open season for antlerless deer  in
    25  a tract within a Wilderness Hunting Area fixed by regulation pursuant to
    26  subdivision [6] six of section 11-0903 of this title, or (6) pursuant to
    27  a deer management permit by a person eligible to take such deer pursuant
    28  thereto as provided in section 11-0913 of this title, or (7) pursuant to
    29  a permit issued to an eligible non-ambulatory person, pursuant to subdi-
    30  vision  [2] two of section 11-0931 of this title, while in possession of
    31  a valid license issued by the department which authorizes the holder  to
    32  hunt  big game. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit
    33  the power of the department to designate by regulation an area or  areas
    34  of  the  state  consisting  of  a  county or part of a county where such
    35  season shall apply and whether the number of such special permits  shall
    36  be limited.
    37    a.  In  every  area identified in column one of the table set forth in
    38  subdivision two of  this  section,  except  those  areas  restricted  to
    39  special  seasons  for  taking deer by longbow only, special open seasons
    40  may be established by regulation for taking deer and/or bear, by the use
    41  of muzzle-loading firearms, of not less  than  .44  caliber  shooting  a
    42  single  projectile[,  or  by the use of a crossbow,] by the holders of a
    43  hunting license with a valid muzzle-loading privilege.
    44    b. Such special open season for the Southern Zone  shall  be  for  the
    45  seven  day period immediately preceding the regular open season for deer
    46  stated in column two of the table set forth in subdivision two  of  this
    47  section,  except  that  the department may, by regulation, fix such open
    48  season in the Southern Zone or any portion  thereof  to  be  either  the
    49  seven  days  immediately  preceding or immediately following the regular
    50  open season for deer[, provided, however, that any  taking  of  deer  or
    51  bear by the use of a crossbow in a season or special season in which the
    52  muzzle  loader  is  the only firearm permitted shall succeed the regular
    53  open hunting season for deer established pursuant to subdivision two  of
    54  of this section].
    55    10.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of  this  chapter,  or any prior
    56  notwithstanding language in this article, the department may,  by  regu-
        S. 6360--A                          3
 
     1  lation, authorize the taking of big game by the use of a crossbow by any
     2  licensed  person in any big game season in any area [designated in items
     3  (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (k) and (l) of paragraph a of  subdi-
     4  vision  two  of this section] in which a [shotgun or muzzle loader] long
     5  bow is permitted [provided however, that  any  crossbow  use  during  an
     6  archery-only  season  shall  only  take  place  during the last fourteen
     7  consecutive days of  such  archery-only  season  in  the  southern  zone
     8  provided  that  such  archery-only season shall consist of not less than
     9  forty-five days and only during the last ten  consecutive  days  of  any
    10  archery-only season in the northern zone provided that such archery-only
    11  season shall consist of no less than twenty-three days. Any muzzle load-
    12  ing season which occurs at the same time as a special archery season may
    13  only occur during times when crossbows are authorized to be used].
    14    §  5. Section 11-0931 of the environmental conservation law is amended
    15  by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
    16    8. a. No person  in  Westchester,  Nassau,  or  Suffolk  county  shall
    17  discharge  a  crossbow  within  five hundred feet of a dwelling house, a
    18  farm building or farm structure actually occupied or used, or  a  school
    19  building or playground, public structure, or occupied factory or church.
    20    b.  A county not enumerated in paragraph a of this subdivision may opt
    21  by local law to be covered by the provisions of such paragraph.
    22    § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.