S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8021
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
June 4, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
crossbow hunting
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-0719 of the
environmental conservation law, as amended by section 2 of part EE of
chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
a. In the circumstances described in paragraph b of this subdivision
the department may revoke any license, bowhunting privilege, or muzzle-
loading privilege, of any person, to hunt, fish or trap, defined in
section 11-0701 of this title or issued pursuant to any provision of the
Fish and Wildlife Law, or it may revoke all of such licenses, bowhunting
privileges, or muzzle-loading privileges. It may also deny such person,
for a period not exceeding five years, the privilege of obtaining such
license or licenses, bowhunting privilege, or muzzle-loading privilege,
or of hunting, trapping or fishing, anywhere in the state with or with-
out license, bowhunting privilege, or muzzle-loading privilege, except
as provided in subdivision 1 of section 11-0707 of this title or in
section 11-0523 of this article. It may also require that such person
successfully complete a department-sponsored course and obtain a certif-
icate of qualification in responsible hunting [including responsible
crossbow hunting], responsible bowhunting INCLUDING RESPONSIBLE CROSSBOW
HUNTING or responsible trapping practices before being issued another
license.
S 2. Paragraphs a and c of subdivision 2 of section 11-0719 of the
environmental conservation law, as amended by section 4 of part EE of
chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read as follows:
a. The department may revoke the licenses, tags, bowhunting privi-
leges, or muzzle-loading privileges, which authorize the holder to hunt
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11485-02-5
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and/or trap wildlife, and may deny the privilege of obtaining such
licenses, tags, bowhunting privileges, or muzzle-loading privileges, and
may deny the privileges of hunting and/or trapping with or without a
license.
(1) of any person who, while engaged in hunting or trapping,
(i) causes death or injury to any person by discharging a firearm,
crossbow or longbow, or
(ii) so negligently discharges a firearm, crossbow or longbow as to
endanger the life or safety of another, or
(iii) so negligently and wantonly discharges a firearm, crossbow or
longbow as to destroy or damage public or private property; or
(2) of any agent of the department authorized to issue certificates of
qualification in responsible hunting [including responsible crossbow
hunting], bowhunting INCLUDING RESPONSIBLE CROSSBOW HUNTING, or trapping
practices who improperly issues any such certification to a person whom
he or she has not trained, or whom he or she knows has not satisfactori-
ly completed all of the requirements necessary for such certification.
c. In case such discharge of a firearm, crossbow or longbow causes
death or injury to any person, the license or licenses, bowhunting priv-
ilege, and muzzle-loading privilege shall be revoked and the ability to
obtain any such license and of hunting or of trapping anywhere in the
state with or without a license denied, for a period not exceeding ten
years, except that no revocation shall be made in cases in which facts
established at the hearing indicate to the satisfaction of the commis-
sioner that there was no negligence on the part of the shooter or
bowhunter. In all other cases the license or licenses, bowhunting privi-
lege, or muzzle-loading privilege, shall be revoked and the privilege of
obtaining such license, bowhunting privilege, or muzzle-loading privi-
lege, and of hunting or of trapping anywhere in the state with or with-
out a license denied for a period not exceeding five years. The depart-
ment may also require that the person causing such death or injury
successfully complete a department-sponsored course and obtain a certif-
icate of qualification in responsible hunting [including responsible
crossbow hunting] or bowhunting practices INCLUDING RESPONSIBLE CROSSBOW
HUNTING before being issued another hunting license.
S 3. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of part EE
of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
string, either compound or recurve, that launches a minimum fourteen
inch bolt, not including point, mounted upon a stock with a trigger that
holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trigger
unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The minimum limb width
of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches[,] AND have a minimum peak
draw weight of one hundred pounds [and a maximum peak draw weight of two
hundred pounds]. The minimum overall length of such crossbow from butts-
tock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four inches.
S 4. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 7 of part EE
of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and
string, either compound or recurve, that launches a minimum fourteen
inch bolt, not including point, mounted upon a stock with a trigger that
holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trigger
unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The minimum limb width
of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches[,] AND have a minimum peak
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draw weight of one hundred pounds [and a maximum peak draw weight of two
hundred pounds]. The minimum overall length of such crossbow from butts-
tock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four inches.
S 5. Subdivision 6 of section 11-0713 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, as added by section 12 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of
2014, is amended to read as follows:
6. The department shall require training in the safe use of hunting
with a crossbow and safe hunting practices in the [basic hunter educa-
tion] BOWHUNTER EDUCATION course required for all new [hunters] BOWHUN-
TERS. All persons who have completed [hunter] BOWHUNTER education and
who have not certified their completion of a safety course which
includes crossbow hunting training prior to April first, two thousand
fourteen shall complete an online or other training program approved by
the department prior to using a crossbow to hunt.
S 6. Subdivision 10 of section 11-0907 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, as added by section 14 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of
2014, is amended to read as follows:
10. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, or any prior
notwithstanding language in this article, the department may, by regu-
lation, authorize the taking of big game by the use of a crossbow by any
licensed person in any big game season in any area designated in items
(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (k) and (l) of paragraph a of subdi-
vision two of this section in which a shotgun or muzzle loader is
permitted provided however, that any crossbow use during an archery-only
season shall only take place during the last fourteen consecutive days
of such archery-only season in the southern zone provided that such
archery-only season shall consist of not less than forty-five days and
only during the last ten consecutive days of any archery-only season in
the northern zone provided that such archery-only season shall consist
of no less than twenty-three days. Any muzzle loading season which
occurs at the same time as a special archery season may only occur
during times when crossbows are authorized to be used. THE DEPARTMENT
MAY AUTHORIZE JUNIOR HUNTERS THAT POSSESS THE JUNIOR ARCHERY PRIVILEGE
TO USE A CROSSBOW DURING THE YOUTH DEER HUNT.
S 7. The closing paragraph of paragraph a of subdivision 2 and subdi-
visions 3, 4, 5 and 9 of section 11-0701 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, the closing paragraph of paragraph a of subdivision 2 and
subdivisions 3, 4 and 5 as amended by section 1-a of part R of chapter
58 of the laws of 2013 and subdivision 9 as amended by section 17 of
part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read as
follows:
A holder may take fish with a longbow OR CROSSBOW as provided in
titles [9] NINE and [13] THIRTEEN of this article.
3. A bowhunting privilege when included on a hunting license entitles
a holder:
(1) who is between the ages of twelve and sixteen years to hunt wild
deer and bear with a longbow OR CROSSBOW during the special archery
season and during the regular season, as provided in title [9] NINE of
this article, subject to the provisions of section 11-0929 and subdivi-
sion [3] THREE of section 11-0713 of this article;
(2) who is eighteen years of age or older to hunt wild deer and bear
with a longbow OR CROSSBOW, as provided in title [9] NINE of this arti-
cle, in a special longbow OR CROSSBOW season; and
(3) who is sixteen or seventeen years of age to exercise the same
privileges subject to the provisions of section 11-0929 and subdivision
[3] THREE of section 11-0713 of this article.
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4. A fishing license entitles the holder to take fish by angling,
spearing, hooking, longbow OR CROSSBOW and tipups, to take frogs by
spearing, catching with the hands or by use of a club or hook, and to
take bait fish for personal use, as provided in titles [9] NINE and [13]
THIRTEEN of this article, except that such license shall not entitle the
holder to take migratory fish of the sea or to take fish from the waters
of the marine district.
5. A non-resident bear tag entitles a person who has not been a resi-
dent of the state for more than thirty days who also possesses a hunting
license to hunt bear during the regular open season therefor or in an
open season fixed by regulation pursuant to subdivision eight of section
11-0903 of this article. It entitles a non-resident holder who also
possesses a hunting license with bowhunting OR CROSSBOW HUNTING privi-
lege to hunt bear with a longbow OR CROSSBOW during the open bear
season. It entitles a non-resident holder who also possesses a hunting
license with muzzle-loading privilege to hunt bear with a muzzleloader
during the open bear season.
9. A muzzle-loading privilege when included on a hunting license enti-
tles a holder who is fourteen years of age or older to hunt wild deer
and bear with a muzzle-loading firearm [or crossbow,] as provided in
title [9] NINE of this article, in a special muzzle-loading firearm
season.
S 8. This act shall take effect immediately.