Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s7693
Timestamp: 2020-03-31 13:27:13
Document Index: 82970748

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art 13', '§13', '§13', '§ 13', '§ 13', '§ 13', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§  4', '§ 5']

NY State Senate Bill S7693
senate Bill S7693
Relates to the prevention and mitigation of marine and coastal debris
Get Status Alerts for S7693
Feb 07, 2020 referred to environmental conservation
S7693 (ACTIVE) - Details
Add Art 13 Title 9 §§13-0901 - 13-0905, amd §§13-0503 & 11-0323, En Con L
S7693 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Relates to the prevention and mitigation of marine and coastal debris; defines terms; requires the department of environmental conservation to prepare and annually update a marine and coastal debris action plan.
S7693 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S7693
prevention and mitigation of marine and coastal debris
To provide a comprehensive program to manage and mitigate marine and
coastal debris.
Section 1. amends Article 13 section of the Environmental Conservation
Law by adding a new Title 9: Marine and Coastal Debris Prevention and
Mitigation. Defines Marine and coastal debris, ghost gear, and eligible
recipients. Outlines the responsibilities of DEC to prepare an action
plan, make facilities available for mitigation efforts, facilitate
reporting ghost gear, and provide available funding as grants to eligi-
ble recipients to operate pilot projects.
Section 2. amends section 13-0503 of the Environmental Conservation Law
to explicitly authorize the Marine Resources Advisory Council to assist
DEC in the implementation of new Title 9.
Section 3 & 4. amends subdivision 1 of section 11-0323 of the environ-
mental conservation law and requires the State's fish and wildlife
syllabus to contain information to facilitate ghost gear reporting.
Section 5. is the enacting clause.
Marine and coastal debris and other forms of pollution are ever-increas-
ing problems in ocean waters and coastal communities.  Such pollution
causes environmental and economic damage and threatens navigation, safe-
ty, and human health. Ocean-related economic activity benefits New
York's economy by more than $24 billion per year, and the continued
vitality of the marine and coastal district is paramount to the millions
of New Yorkers who make their homes nearby. A number of other states
have enacted laws to prevent despoliation of their coasts, but New York
currently has no comprehensive management plan to protect its marine and
This policy on marine and coastal pollution will enable the State to
join other concerned stakeholders in concerted effort to address the
problems created by marine and coastal debris. While New York's Great
Lakes are covered under a Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan, there
is no plan targeted to protect marine and coastal waters. This bill
enables DEC to work with other stakeholders effectively and collabora-
tively, enhance its ability to obtain Federal funds and foundation
grants, and generally work to mitigate marine coastal waste.
The bill also requires DEC to make its facilities available whenever
feasible to volunteer organizations and other entities to facilitate
efforts combatting marine debris. DEC may support and assist such
efforts, provide grants for pilot projects in the areas of ghost gear
identification and removal, monofilament fishing line recycling and
beach debris cleanup. Finally, the bill requires DEC to provide informa-
tion on reporting the location of ghost gear on its website and fish and
wildlife syllabus.
This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, (a) the
initial marine debris action plan shall be issued not later than 15
months after the date on which this act shall have become a law; and (b)
the amendments to subdivision 1 of section 11-0323 of the environmental
conservation law made by section three of this act shall be subject to
the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to section 4
of chapter 330 of the laws of 2014, as amended, when upon such date the
S7693 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
MARINE AND COASTAL DEBRIS PREVENTION AND MITIGATION
SECTION 13-0901. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
13-0903. DEFINITIONS.
13-0905. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
§ 13-0901. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
IT IS DECLARED TO BE THE PUBLIC  POLICY  OF  THIS  STATE  TO  PROTECT,
PRESERVE  AND  RESTORE  ITS MARINE AND COASTAL WATERS AND TO PREVENT AND
MITIGATE THEIR DESPOLIATION BY MARINE AND COASTAL DEBRIS,  IN  ORDER  TO
MAINTAIN  HEALTHY  COASTAL  AND  OCEAN  ECOSYSTEMS AND THE BENEFITS THEY
PROVIDE TO COMMUNITIES.
§ 13-0903. DEFINITIONS.
1. "MARINE AND COASTAL DEBRIS" SHALL MEAN ANY PERSISTENT SOLID MATERI-
AL THAT IS MANUFACTURED OR PROCESSED, AND DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INTEN-
TIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY, DISPOSED OF OR ABANDONED IN THE  WATERS  OF
THE  MARINE AND COASTAL DISTRICT, INCLUDING DEBRIS THAT HAS BEEN DUMPED,
SWEPT, OR BLOWN OFF COMMERCIAL AND FISHING VESSELS, OR STATIONARY  PLAT-
FORMS  AT  SEA, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO GHOST GEAR, AND DEBRIS THAT
HAS BEEN GENERATED ON LAND AND BLOWN, SWEPT, OR WASHED OUT TO MARINE AND
2. "GHOST GEAR" SHALL MEAN LOST OR ABANDONED FISHING  GEAR,  INCLUDING
FISHING  NETS,  FISHING  LINES,  CRAB POTS, SHRIMP POTS, LOBSTER POTS OR
TRAPS, FISH OR EEL POTS, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL AND  RECREATIONAL  FISHING
EQUIPMENT, BUT SHALL NOT INCLUDE LOST OR ABANDONED VESSELS OR STRUCTURAL
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S. 7693                             2
3.   "ELIGIBLE  RECIPIENTS"  SHALL  MEAN  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPORATIONS
LOCATED WITHIN NEW YORK STATE WITH THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING SPORT  FISH-
ING, INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN RECREATIONAL ANGLING, INCREASING PUBLIC
AWARENESS  AND  APPRECIATION  OF  AQUATIC NATURAL RESOURCES, ENCOURAGING
CONSERVATION  OF  FISHERIES  RESOURCES, OR PROMOTING RESEARCH RELATED TO
SPORT FISHING, RECREATIONAL ANGLING, OR AQUATIC NATURAL RESOURCES.
§ 13-0905. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PREPARE AND ANNUALLY UPDATE A MARINE AND COAS-
TAL DEBRIS ACTION PLAN. SUCH PLAN SHALL  BE  DEVELOPED  IN  CONSULTATION
WITH  RELEVANT  STAKE HOLDERS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE DEPART-
MENT OF STATE AND THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVA-
TION, THE MARINE RESOURCES  ADVISORY  COUNCIL  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO
SECTION 13-0350 OF THIS ARTICLE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS,
HOLDERS  OF  COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISHING LICENSES, ORGANIZATIONS
OF SPORTING ENTHUSIASTS AND PERSONS CONCERNED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL  ISSUES
2.  SUCH  PLAN SHALL INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT OF MARINE AND
COASTAL DEBRIS AND ITS IMPACT ON RESOURCES IN MARINE AND COASTAL WATERS,
SHALL EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE MEASURES TO IDENTIFY, PREVENT AND MITIGATE
THE IMPACTS OF SUCH DEBRIS, AND SHALL IDENTIFY  BEST  PRACTICES  IN  THE
PREVENTION,  IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION OF MARINE AND COASTAL DEBRIS.
IN ADDITION, EACH ANNUAL UPDATE SHALL INCLUDE INFORMATION  AND  DATA  ON
PROGRESS IN ACCOMPLISHING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRIOR YEAR'S PLAN AND ON
ACTIVITIES  UNDERTAKEN OR SUPPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
VISIONS THREE AND FOUR OF THIS SECTION AND ANY PILOT PROJECTS  INITIATED
3.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: (A) TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE, MAKE ITS FACILI-
TIES IN COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO OR  WITHIN  MARINE  AND  COASTAL  WATERS
AVAILABLE  TO  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  ENTITIES  INVOLVED IN IDENTIFICATION,
PREVENTION, MITIGATION AND REMOVAL AND RECYCLING OR OTHER REMEDIATION OF
MARINE DEBRIS TO FACILITATE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION; AND (B) TO  THE  EXTENT
FUNDS  ARE AVAILABLE THEREFOR, SUPPORT AND ASSIST SUCH ORGANIZATIONS AND
ENTITIES IN EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
4. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE INFORMATION ON  REPORT-
ING  THE  LOCATION OF GHOST GEAR WHEN ISSUING ANY COMMERCIAL LICENSE FOR
FISHING IN MARINE AND COASTAL WATERS, SHALL PUBLISH SUCH INFORMATION  IN
ANY  DEPARTMENT-GENERATED  GUIDE OR MAP FOR SALTWATER FISHING, AND SHALL
INCLUDE TOLL-FREE NUMBERS AND LINKS TO WEBSITES  OF  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT
ACCEPT REPORTS OF SUCH LOCATIONS ON ITS WEBSITE AND ON ANY MOBILE APPLI-
CATION  FOR  HUNTING,  FISHING AND WILDLIFE INFORMATION SUPPORTED BY THE
5. TO EXTENT THAT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PURPOSES,  THE  DEPART-
MENT  SHALL PROVIDE GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS TO OPERATE ONE OR MORE
PILOT PROJECTS IN EACH  OF  THE  FOLLOWING  AREAS:  (A)  IDENTIFICATION,
REMOVAL  AND, TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE, RECYCLING OF GHOST GEAR; (B) MONO-
FILAMENT FISHING LINE RECYCLING; AND (C) BEACH DEBRIS CLEANUP.
§ 2. Section 13-0503 of the environmental conservation law is  amended
5.  THE  BOARD MAY ADVISE AND ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN THE EXERCISE OF
ITS RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER TITLE NINE OF THIS ARTICLE.
§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 11-0323 of the  environmental  conserva-
tion  law,  as amended by chapter 330 of the laws of 2014, is amended to
1. The department shall compile and index each year after the adjourn-
ment of the legislature the laws relating to fish and wildlife, as  well
as  invasive  species  (as  defined in section 9-1703 and 9-1710 of this
S. 7693                             3
chapter), as amended to date. IN ADDITION, INFORMATION ON REPORTING  THE
LOCATION  OF  GHOST GEAR, INCLUDING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS AND WEBSITE LINKS,
SHALL ALSO BE INCLUDED. Copies of the compilation shall  be  printed  in
pamphlet form of pocket size in the number for which the legislature may
§  4.  Subdivision 1 of section 11-0323 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, as separately amended by section 19 of part H  of  chapter  58
and chapter 342 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
ment  of the legislature the laws relating to fish and wildlife, as well
as invasive species (as defined in section 9-1703 of this  chapter),  as
amended  to  date. IN ADDITION, INFORMATION ON REPORTING THE LOCATION OF
GHOST GEAR, INCLUDING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS AND WEBSITE LINKS, SHALL ALSO BE
INCLUDED. Copies of the compilation shall be printed in pamphlet form of
pocket size in the number for  which  the  legislature  may  appropriate
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that:
(a)  the  initial  marine debris action plan shall be issued not later
than 15 months after the date on which this act shall have become a law;
(b) the amendments to subdivision 1 of section 11-0323 of the environ-
mental conservation law made by section  three  of  this  act  shall  be
subject  to the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to
section 4 of chapter 330 of the laws of 2014, as amended, when upon such
date the provisions of section four of this act shall take effect.