Bill Text: NY S03079 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the department of environmental conservation to prepare a report on the economic impact of hunting, fishing, and wildlife-associated activities in New York.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION [S03079 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S03079-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3079
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 10, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
       AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
         preparing  a report on the economic impact of hunting and fishing; and
         providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
         of
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Legislative  intent.    The legislature hereby finds that
    2  according to a "2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and  Wildlife-
    3  Associated Recreation," recreational anglers and hunters spent more than
    4  $3.5 billion in pursuit of their pastimes in New York in 2001.  The 1996
    5  survey  found that expenditures include monies spent for equipment, bait
    6  and tackle, hotels and motels, restaurants, lodges  and  camps,  grocery
    7  and  hardware  stores,  and guide services.   The survey also found that
    8  these expenditures and their associated economic impact supported 43,000
    9  jobs and generated $100 million in state sales tax and  $32  million  in
   10  state  income  tax  in  New York state in 1996.   Nationally, the survey
   11  estimated that hunting and fishing supported 1.9 million jobs and gener-
   12  ated $2.9 billion in state sales tax and $772 million  in  state  income
   13  tax.    The  legislature  finds  and declares that hunting, fishing, and
   14  wildlife-associated recreation support jobs, generate sales  and  income
   15  taxes,  and  are  an  integral component of the tourism industry and the
   16  overall economy in New York state.  Efforts are underway in  each  state
   17  to  promote  tourism, including hunting, recreational fishing, and wild-
   18  life-associated recreation in the name of  economic  development.    The
   19  legislature also finds that the department of environmental conservation
   20  must  rely  on a study every five years by the United States Departments
   21  of Interior and Commerce to determine the number of people who hunt  and
   22  fish  and  expenditures  relating to their recreation.   Therefore, this
   23  legislation is intended to provide more accurate and timely  information
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08172-01-9
       S. 3079                             2
    1  to policy makers and department administrators regarding the tourism and
    2  economic  impact  of hunting, fishing and wildlife-associated recreation
    3  in New York state.
    4    S  2.  The  environmental  conservation law is amended by adding a new
    5  section 11-0310 to read as follows:
    6  S 11-0310. REPORT ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FISHING AND HUNTING.
    7    1. COMMENCING ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,
    8  AND  EVERY  TWO YEARS THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, IN CONJUNCTION
    9  WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
   10  PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, PREPARE A SUMMARY REPORT ON
   11  THE  ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FISHING, HUNTING, AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECRE-
   12  ATION IN NEW YORK STATE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED
   13  TO, THE FOLLOWING:
   14    A. THE NUMBER OF ANGLERS, HUNTERS, AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS,
   15  INCLUDING  RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARTICIPANTS, IN NEW YORK STATE, INCLUD-
   16  ING A BREAKDOWN OF RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT ANGLERS, HUNTERS, AND WILD-
   17  LIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS;
   18    B. THE FREQUENCY OF PARTICIPATION OF ANGLERS,  HUNTERS,  AND  WILDLIFE
   19  WATCHERS AND HOW MUCH MONEY THEY SPEND ON THEIR ACTIVITIES INCLUDING BUT
   20  NOT  LIMITED  TO  EXPENDITURES ON EQUIPMENT, BAIT AND TACKLE, HOTELS AND
   21  MOTELS, RESTAURANTS, LODGES AND CAMPS, GROCERY AND HARDWARE STORES,  AND
   22  GUIDE SERVICES; AND
   23    C.  AN  ESTIMATE  OF THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY ANGLERS,
   24  HUNTERS, AND WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS AS WELL  AS  THE  AMOUNT  OF
   25  SALES   TAX   AND   INCOME   TAX  GENERATED  BY  ANGLERS,  HUNTERS,  AND
   26  WILDLIFE-WATCHING PARTICIPANTS.
   27    2. THE RESULTS OF THE REPORT REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBMIT-
   28  TED TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING THE CHAIRS OF  THE
   29  ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMITTEE,
   30  TOURISM,  ARTS AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND THE ECONOMIC DEVEL-
   31  OPMENT COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE,
   32  ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, CULTURAL AFFAIRS,  TOURISM,  PARKS
   33  AND  RECREATION  COMMITTEE, AND COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL
   34  BUSINESS COMMITTEE.
   35    S 3.  This act shall take effect on the first of October next succeed-
   36  ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall expire and be
   37  deemed repealed 10 years after such date.