STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3550 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 27, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE, BUTTENSCHON, MANKTELOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to allowing for the hunting with crossbows by certain people during a special longbow hunting season The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 11-0701 of the environmental conservation law is 2 amended by adding a new subdivision 10 to read as follows: 3 10. A special crossbow privilege when included on a hunting license 4 entitles a holder who is sixty-two years of age or older, fourteen years 5 of age or older and physically disabled to a certain degree, as such 6 term is defined by regulation, or both to hunt wild deer and bear with a 7 crossbow, as provided in title 9 of this article, in a special long bow 8 season as if they were hunting with a longbow and a bowhunting privilege 9 on a hunting license issued under subdivision 3 of this section. The 10 special crossbow privilege for those under the age of eighteen shall be 11 subject to the same provisions of section 11-0929 and section 11-0713 of 12 this article based on their age as if it was a bowhunting privilege. 13 § 2. Paragraph b of subdivision 6 of section 11-0703 of the environ- 14 mental conservation law, as amended by section 2 of part R of chapter 58 15 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows: 16 b. Except as provided in section 11-0707 and section 11-0709 of this 17 title, no person shall (1) hunt wild deer or bear unless such person 18 holds and is entitled to exercise the privileges of a hunting license, 19 and meets the requirements of this article; (2) hunt wild deer or bear 20 with a longbow or crossbow in a special longbow season unless such 21 person holds and is entitled to exercise the privileges of a hunting 22 license with a bowhunting privilege or a special crossbow privilege, 23 respectively, and meets the requirements of this article; or (3) hunt 24 wild deer or bear with a muzzle-loading firearm in a special muzzle- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07146-01-1A. 3550 2 1 loading firearm season unless such person is at least fourteen years old 2 and holds a hunting license with a muzzle-loading privilege and meets 3 the requirements of this article. 4 § 3. Subdivision 13 of section 11-0901 of the environmental conserva- 5 tion law, as amended by section 23 of part R of chapter 58 of the laws 6 of 2013, is amended to read as follows: 7 13. Persons engaged in hunting deer and/or bear with a longbow must 8 possess a current bowhunting privilege or a valid certificate of quali- 9 fication in responsible bowhunting practices issued or honored by the 10 department. Persons engaged in hunting deer and/or bear with a crossbow 11 during the special longbow season but not during the special muzzle- 12 loading firearm season or regular season must possess a current special 13 crossbow privilege. 14 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.