Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s2968
Timestamp: 2020-05-31 04:14:51
Document Index: 572024884

Matched Legal Cases: ['§11', '§  2', '§  3', '§ 4', '§ 5', '§  6', '§ 11']

NY State Senate Bill S2968
senate Bill S2968
Relates to lowering the age for universal hunting licenses from 14 years old to 12 years old
Get Status Alerts for S2968
Jan 31, 2019 referred to environmental conservation
S2968 (ACTIVE) - Details
Amd §§11-0713, 11-0703, 11-0929, 11-0701, 11-0901 & 11-0933, En Con L
2015-2016: S5434, A8358
2017-2018: S3156, A477
S2968 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Relates to lowering the age for universal hunting licenses from 14 years old to 12 years old.
S2968 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S2968
lowering the age for universal hunting licenses from fourteen years old
to twelve years old
The purpose of this bill is to lower the minimum age at which an indi-
vidual may obtain universal hunting licenses.
Section 1 amends subparagraph of paragraph b of subdivision 3 of section
11-0713 of the environmental conservation law. The age at which one may
obtain a muzzle-loading privilege is lowered from fourteen to twelve.
Section 2 amends paragraph b of subdivision 6 of section 11-0703 of the
environmental conservation law. The age at which one may participate in
a special muzzle-loading season is lowered from fourteen to twelve.
Section 3 amends subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 11-0929 of the environ-
mental conservation law. The clause prohibiting use of a crossbow by
those who are twelve and thirteen is eliminated. A clause is added to
include those who are twelve years old in the rules of parental super-
Section 4 amends paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-0701 of the
environmental conservation law. The clause excluding those who are
twelve years of age from hunting big game is eliminated.
Section 5 amends subparagraph 3 of paragraph c of subdivision 3 of
section 11-0901 of the environmental conservation law. The age at which
one may use a crossbow is changed from fourteen to twelve.
Section 6 amends section 11-0933 of the environmental conservation law.
The age at which one may use a crossbow to take small game and birds is
changed from fourteen to twelve.
Section 7 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Hunting and outdoorsman ship are important facets of the culture of New
York State. Many families have long traditions of hunting that define
their way of life. People across New York are eager to pass the tradi-
tions and skills of hunting down to their children. Under current law,
parents are unduly limited in the ways they can pass down the meaningful
practice of hunting to their children.
This bill seeks to remove unnecessary restrictions on the types of weap-
ons that those over twelve years of age may use and the type of game
they may pursue. Removing these restrictions will allow parents to teach
their children the valuable skills and values of hunting at an early
age, and further solidify the tradition of hunting in this state for
2017-18 - S. 3156 - Passed Senate/A. 477 - Environmental Conservation
2015-16 - S. 5434 - Rules Committee/A. 8358 - Environmental Conservation
S2968 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
Introduced  by  Sens.  GRIFFO, AKSHAR, FUNKE, GALLIVAN, HELMING, O'MARA,
ORTT, RANZENHOFER, RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
lowering  the  age  for universal hunting licenses from fourteen years
old to twelve years old
Section  1.  Subparagraph 3 of paragraph b of subdivision 3 of section
11-0713 of the environmental conservation law, as amended by  section  3
of  part  R  of  chapter  58  of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
(3) The issuing officer shall not issue a muzzle-loading privilege  to
any  person  unless  the  applicant presents a hunting license issued to
that person for the corresponding license year and  such  person  is  at
least [fourteen] TWELVE years old.
§  2.  Paragraph b of subdivision 6 of section 11-0703 of the environ-
mental conservation law, as amended by section 2 of part R of chapter 58
b. Except as provided in section 11-0707 and section 11-0709  of  this
title,  no  person  shall  (1) hunt wild deer or bear unless such person
holds and is entitled to exercise the privileges of a  hunting  license,
and  meets  the requirements of this article; (2) hunt wild deer or bear
with a longbow in a special longbow season unless such person holds  and
is  entitled  to  exercise  the  privileges  of a hunting license with a
bowhunting privilege and meets the requirements of this article; or  (3)
hunt  wild  deer  or  bear  with  a  muzzle-loading firearm in a special
muzzle-loading firearm season unless such person is at least  [fourteen]
TWELVE years old and holds a hunting license with a muzzle-loading priv-
ilege and meets the requirements of this article.
LBD00666-01-9
S. 2968                             2
§  3.  Subdivisions  1  and  2 of section 11-0929 of the environmental
conservation law, subdivision 1 as amended by section 20 of part  EE  of
chapter  55  of the laws of 2014, subdivision 2 as amended by section 13
of part R of chapter 58 of the laws of 2013, paragraph a and the opening
paragraph  of  paragraph  b of subdivision 2 as amended by section 11 of
part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, subparagraph 6 of paragraph b
of subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 192 of  the  laws  of  2016,  are
1.  A  licensee  who is twelve or thirteen years of age shall not hunt
wildlife with a gun or a longbow unless he or she is accompanied by  his
or  her parent or legal guardian, or by a person twenty-one years of age
or older designated in writing by his or her parent or legal guardian on
a form prescribed by the department, who holds  a  hunting  license.  [A
licensee  who  is  twelve or thirteen years of age shall not hunt with a
crossbow.]
2. A licensee who is fourteen or fifteen years of age shall not[:
a.] hunt wildlife with a gun, crossbow or  longbow,  other  than  wild
deer  or  bear  as  provided  in [paragraph b] SUBDIVISION THREE of this
[subdivision] SECTION, unless he or she is accompanied  by  his  or  her
parent or legal guardian holding a hunting license, or by a person eigh-
teen  years  of age or older, designated in writing by his or her parent
or legal guardian, holding such license;
[b.] 3. A LICENSEE WHO IS TWELVE, THIRTEEN, FOURTEEN OR FIFTEEN  YEARS
OF AGE, SHALL NOT hunt wild deer or bear with a crossbow or gun unless:
[(1)]  A.  he  or  she  is accompanied by his or her parent or a legal
guardian, or a youth mentor who is twenty-one  years  of  age  or  older
designated in writing by the parent or legal guardian of the licensee on
a form prescribed by the department; and
[(2)]  B. such parent, guardian or youth mentor has had at least three
years of experience in hunting big game; and
[(3)] C. such  parent,  guardian  or  youth  mentor  holds  a  hunting
[(4)]  D.  such  parent,  guardian  or youth mentor maintains physical
control over the minor he or she is  accompanying  at  all  times  while
hunting; and
[(5)] E. such parent, guardian or youth mentor and the minor he or she
is accompanying remain at ground level at all times while hunting; and
[(6)] F. such parent, guardian or youth mentor and the minor he or she
is accompanying shall each display either a minimum total of two hundred
visible  from  all directions. For purposes of this [paragraph] SUBDIVI-
SION, "physical control" shall mean that the physical proximity  of  the
minor  to  the parent, guardian or youth mentor is such that the parent,
guardian or youth mentor is reasonably able to issue  verbal  directions
and  instructions,  maintain  constant  visual  contact,  and  otherwise
provide guidance and supervision to the minor.
§ 4. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-0701 of  the  environ-
mental  conservation law, as amended by section 21 of part EE of chapter
a. entitles a holder who is twelve or thirteen years of  age  to  hunt
wildlife,  [except  big  game,]  as  provided in title 9 of this article
subject, specifically, to the provisions  of  section  11-0929  of  this
S. 2968                             3
article.  It  entitles  such  holder  to possess firearms as provided in
section 265.05 of the penal law. [A holder who  is  twelve  or  thirteen
years of age shall not hunt with a crossbow.]
§ 5. Subparagraph 3 of paragraph c of subdivision 3 of section 11-0901
of  the environmental conservation law, as amended by section 19 of part
EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(3) crossbows may be used but only by  licensees  who  are  [fourteen]
§  6.  Section 11-0933 of the environmental conservation law, as added
by section 22 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014,  is  amended
§ 11-0933. Taking small game by crossbow.
Notwithstanding  any  provision of this chapter, or any prior notwith-
standing language in this article, the department  may,  by  regulation,
authorize the taking of small game and wild upland game birds by the use
of  a  crossbow by any licensed person [fourteen] TWELVE years of age or
older, in any small game season, in any area designated  in  items  (a),
(b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (k), and (l) of paragraph a of subdivision
two of section 11-0907 of this title in which a shotgun or muzzle loader