STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10073
IN ASSEMBLY
May 3, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- (at request of the Department of Envi-
ronmental Conservation) -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
extending the authority of the department of environmental conserva-
tion to manage deer and bear; and to amend chapter 600 of the laws of
1993, amending the environmental conservation law relating to the
management of deer, in relation to the effectiveness of such chapter
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 13 of chapter 600 of the laws of 1993, amending the
2 environmental conservation law relating to the management of deer, as
3 amended by chapter 207 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as
4 follows:
5 § 13. This act shall take effect immediately, provided however, that
6 the amendments made to paragraph c of subdivision 1 of section 11-0907
7 of the environmental conservation law made by section five of this act,
8 paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 11-0907 of the environmental
9 conservation law made by section six of this act, paragraphs a and b of
10 subdivision 3 of section 11-0907 of the environmental conservation law
11 made by section seven of this act, paragraph b of subdivision 2 of
12 section 11-0907 of the environmental conservation law made by section
13 six of this act, paragraph c of subdivision 3 of section 11-0907 of the
14 environmental conservation law made by section seven of this act, and
15 subdivision 3 of section 11-0911 of the environmental conservation law
16 made by section eight of this act shall expire on December 31, [2024]
17 2027.
18 § 2. Subdivision 8, paragraph a of subdivision 9 and subdivision 10 of
19 section 11-0903 of the environmental conservation law, as amended by
20 chapter 207 of the laws of 2021, are amended to read as follows:
21 8. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the
22 contrary, the department may, until December thirty-first, two thousand
23 [twenty-four] twenty-seven, fix by regulation the open seasons, open
24 areas, bag limit, manner of taking, possession and disposition of bear
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14287-01-4
A. 10073 2
1 and parts of bears, and the intentional and incidental feeding of bears.
2 Such regulations shall implement the provisions of this article. Such
3 regulations, as the department deems appropriate, may provide for
4 special permits and permit quotas. When a special permit is required,
5 the department may fix by regulation a fee for each such permit issued.
6 a. Until December thirty-first, two thousand [twenty-four] twenty-sev-
7 en, whenever in its opinion deer shall become numerous enough in any
8 area to cause substantial damage to property or overbrowsing of deer
9 range, the department may fix by regulation special open seasons for
10 taking wild deer of either sex. Subject to this subdivision, the depart-
11 ment may fix the conditions of such seasons.
12 10. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of subdivision 10 of
13 section 11-0901 or subdivision 2, subdivision 3 or subdivision 8 of
14 section 11-0907 of this title, until December thirty-first, two thousand
15 [twenty-four] twenty-seven, the department is authorized to adopt regu-
16 lations with respect to the manner of taking, possession, open seasons
17 and bag limits for deer. The authority to adopt such regulations is in
18 addition to any authority contained in this section or section 11-0913
19 of this title respecting regulations fixing open seasons for deer and
20 the issuance of deer management permits.
21 § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-0913 of the environ-
22 mental conservation law, as amended by chapter 207 of the laws of 2021,
23 is amended to read as follows:
24 a. Until December thirty-first, two thousand [twenty-four] twenty-sev-
25 en, whenever in its opinion the population of deer in any area of the
26 state except in the northern zone is such that additional harvest of
27 deer is reasonably necessary to properly manage the deer herd in the
28 state in balance with the available deer range and natural food supply,
29 the department may provide by regulation for issuance of deer management
30 permits, permitting the taking of one deer for the permit, in addition
31 to the limit of one deer that may otherwise be taken by one person in a
32 license year.
33 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.