NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A3930
SPONSOR: Englebright
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
increasing certain penalties relating to endangered and special species,
species of special concern and illegal ivory articles and rhinoceros
horns
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to increase the penalties for violations
involving endangered and threatened species.
SUMMERY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
This bill would:
* increase the endangered or threatened species civil penalty; and, *
require the Department of Environmental Conservation to: * increase
public awareness regarding the importance of protecting endangered and
threatened species; and, * publicize laws protecting such species
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Not only do endangered and threatened species add beauty and wonder to
the natural world, but they provide diversity necessary for the mainte-
nance for our ecosystems. This bill would help increase awareness of the
need for protections of such species and provide additional deterrents
to their harm.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-2020: A.6200 - Reported to Environmental Conservation Committee.
2017-2018: A.1492-A - Passed the Assembly.
2016: A.10474 - Passed the Assembly.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3930
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, OTIS -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
increasing certain penalties relating to endangered and special
species, species of special concern and illegal ivory articles and
rhinoceros horns
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 13 of section 71-0925 of the environmental
2 conservation law, as amended by chapter 706 of the laws of 2005, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 13. If the violation was an act prohibited by subdivision two of
5 section 11-0535 or by section 11-0536 of this chapter, or by any lawful
6 rule or regulation of the department promulgated pursuant thereto, not
7 more than [two] four thousand dollars, and an additional penalty of not
8 more than [three] seven hundred [fifty] dollars for each fish, shellf-
9 ish, crustacea, wildlife or part thereof involved in the violation. If
10 the violation was an act prohibited by any regulation of the department
11 promulgated pursuant to subdivision three of section 11-0535 of this
12 chapter, then such penalty shall be not more than [one] two thousand
13 dollars, and an additional penalty of not more than [two] four hundred
14 dollars for each fish, shellfish, crustacea, wildlife or part thereof
15 involved in the violation.
16 § 2. The commissioner of environmental conservation shall inform the
17 public of the importance of protecting endangered and threatened
18 species. Such commissioner shall also publicize the laws protecting such
19 species.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08614-01-1