NY State Senate Bill 2013-S7890

Senate Bill S7890

Signed By Governor

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Prohibits the sale, purchase, trade, barter and distribution of certain ivory articles and rhinoceros horns

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status Via A10143 - Signed by Governor

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Aug 12, 2014	signed chap.326
Aug 08, 2014	delivered to governor
Jun 19, 2014	returned to assembly passed senate 3rd reading cal.1656 substituted for s7890
Jun 19, 2014	substituted by a10143 ordered to third reading cal.1656
Jun 16, 2014	referred to rules

Votes

- Jun 19, 2014 - Floor Vote
  A10143
  
  43
  
  Aye
  
  17
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 19, 2014
      
      aye (43)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Avella
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Carlucci
      
      DeFrancisco
      
      Dilan
      
      Espaillat
      
      Felder
      
      Flanagan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gipson
      
      Golden
      
      Grisanti
      
      Hannon
      
      Hassell-Thompson
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Kennedy
      
      Klein
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Lanza
      
      Latimer
      
      Marcellino
      
      Martins
      
      Montgomery
      
      O'Brien
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Perkins
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Sampson
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Serrano
      
      Skelos
      
      Smith
      
      Squadron
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tkaczyk
      
      Valesky
      
      nay (17)
      
      Ball
      
      Bonacic
      
      Farley
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Larkin
      
      Libous
      
      Little
      
      Marchione
      
      Maziarz
      
      Nozzolio
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Ritchie
      
      Seward
      
      Young
      
      Zeldin
      
      excused (1)
      
      Diaz
  Jun 19, 2014 - Rules Committee Vote
  S7890
  
  22
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 19, 2014
      
      aye (22)
      
      Bonacic
      
      Breslin
      
      Carlucci
      
      Dilan
      
      Farley
      
      Flanagan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Hannon
      
      Hassell-Thompson
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Larkin
      
      Libous
      
      Marcellino
      
      Maziarz
      
      Montgomery
      
      Nozzolio
      
      Parker
      
      Perkins
      
      Skelos
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Valesky
      
      nay (2)
      
      Little
      
      Seward
      
      excused (1)
      
      Espaillat

co-Sponsors

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2013-S7890 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10143
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Add §11-0535-a, amd §§71-0924 & 71-0925, En Con L

2013-S7890 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the sale, purchase, trade, barter and distribution of certain ivory articles and rhinoceros horns.

2013-S7890 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S7890

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to prohibiting the purchase and sale of ivory articles and
rhinoceros horns and increasing the penalties for the illegal sale of
such articles

Purpose:  This bill would prohibit the purchase and sale of ivory
articles and rhinoceros horns, with limited exceptions, and increase
the criminal and civil penalties for the illegal sale of these
articles.

Summary of Provisions:

Section 1 of the bill would add section 11-0535-a to the Environmental
Conservation Law (ECL). Subdivision 1 of ECL § 11-0535-a would define
terms for purposes of the section. Subdivision 2 would prohibit the
sale, offer for sale, purchase, trade, barter, or distribution of
ivory articles and rhinoceros horns except as otherwise provided in
Subdivision 3. Subdivision 3 would authorize the Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue licenses or permits for the
sale, offering for sale, purchase, trading, bartering, or distribution
of ivory articles or rhinoceros horns in limited situations.

Section 2 of the bill would amend ECL § 71-0924 to establish a Class D
felony penalty for the illegal sale, trade, or barter of ivory

articles with a value exceeding $25,000.

Section 3 of the bill would add subdivision 16 to ECL § 71-0925 to
increase the civil penalties for violations of ECL § 11-0535-a.

Section 4 of the bill would require that within 30 days DEC maintain
information on its website regarding the prohibition on the sale and
distribution of ivory articles and rhinoceros horns.

Section 5 of the bill contains a severability clause.

Section 6 of the bill would require DEC, no later than January 1,
2020, to prepare a report outlining enforcement activities and
recommendations regarding any necessary statutory changes.

Section 7 of the bill sets forth the effective date.

Existing law:

The State's endangered and threatened species law, ECL § 11-0535,
prohibits the taking, importation, transportation, possession, or sale
of any endangered or threatened species of fish, shellfish, crustacea
or wildlife, except under license or permit from DEC. ECL § 11-0536(1)
prohibits the sale and offer for sale of Black Rhinoceros and Sumatran
Rhinoceros, or any part thereof, whether raw or manufactured.

Pursuant to ECL § 71-0923, a violation of ECL § 11-0535 or § 11-0536
is a violation level offense, punishable by fine of not more than
$250, imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both such fine and
imprisonment. ECL § 71-0924 sets forth the fines and penalties
applicable to the illegal commercialization of fish, shellfish,


crustaceans, and wildlife. Subdivision (3) of ECL § 71-0924
establishes a Class E felony for the illegal commercialization of
fish, shellfish, crustaceans or wildlife, or parts thereof, valued
above $1,500. ECL § 710925(13) sets forth the civil penalties. for
violations of ECL §§ 11-0535 and 11-0536.

Statement in Support:  The demand for illegal wildlife and wildlife
products in the United States, including New York, is driving many
species towards extinction. Despite being listed as threatened or
endangered since the 1970's, elephant and rhinoceros populations
across Africa and Asia are moving towards extinction. These animals
are being slaughtered at an alarming rate to meet the needs of the
ivory and horn trade, much of which is unlicensed and illegal. The
Wildlife Conservation Society estimates that in Africa alone 96
elephants are slaughtered each day. This dire situation is exemplified
by the recent death of Satao, an iconic 4.5 year old Kenyan elephant
believed to be one of the world's largest living elephants and
well-known for having long tusks that nearly reached the ground.
Satao was so severely mutilated by the poachers that it took several
days for investigators to identify him. In South Africa, the record
slaughter of 1,004 rhinos in 2013 is more than twice the number killed
in 2011, according to government-released figures.

The high consumer demand for ivory and horn products in New York is
especially troubling. A joint investigation in 2012 by DEC and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in the seizure of over $2
million worth of elephant ivory from jewelers in New York City. The
core problem is the economic opportunity created by the demand for
ivory and horn. The existing penalties are not high enough to deter
violations. Under the existing statutory framework, a violation of

ECL § 11-0535 or § 11-0.536 is only a violation level offense. This is
the lowest offense specified under New York law. The penalty for a
violation includes a fine structure of between $0 and $250 and a
maximum of 15 days in jail. In reality, few defendants convicted of a
violation ever serve jail time.  ECL § 71-0924, which sets penalties
for illegal commercialization of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, or
wildlife, serves as one of the primary tools available to law
enforcement against the illegal trade in ivory. This law, however, is
out-of-date and no longer provides meaningful deterrence.  Currently,
those involved in the illegal sale of wildlife parts, such as ivory,
can only be charged with a maximum offense of an E felony, the lowest
felony under State law. An individual selling $150,000 worth of
illegal ivory can only be charged with the same level of offense as an
individual selling $15,000, or even just $1,501 worth of illegal
ivory.

Given the potential profits and volume of ivory and horn sales in New
York, the current law is not sufficient to have any detrimental effect
on the present market. This bill, by expressly prohibiting the trade
of ivory and rhinoceros horns with very limited exceptions and
increasing fines and penalties, would help deter the illegal trade in
these articles in New York.

Budget implications: None.


Effective Date:  The bill would take effect immediately; provided,
however, any person who has been issued a license or permit allowing
the sale of ivory articles or rhinoceros horns before the bill's
effective date may sell such articles listed on such license or permit
until such license or permit has expired.

2013-S7890 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7890

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 16, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  LANZA,  AVELLA -- (at request of the Governor) --
  read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to
  the Committee on Rules

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
  prohibiting the purchase and sale of  ivory  articles  and  rhinoceros
  horns  and increasing the penalties for the illegal sale of such arti-
  cles

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a
new section 11-0535-a to read as follows:
S 11-0535-A. ILLEGAL IVORY ARTICLES AND RHINOCEROS HORNS.
  1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
  A. "DISTRIBUTE" MEANS A TRANSFER  OR  CHANGE  IN  POSSESSION  WITH  AN
ACCOMPANYING CHANGE IN LEGAL OWNERSHIP.
  B.  "IVORY ARTICLE" MEANS ANY ITEM CONTAINING WORKED OR RAW IVORY FROM
ANY SPECIES OF ELEPHANT OR MAMMOTH.
  C. "RAW IVORY" MEANS ANY ELEPHANT  OR  MAMMOTH  TUSK,  AND  ANY  PIECE
THEREOF,  THE SURFACE OF WHICH, POLISHED, OR UNPOLISHED, IS UNALTERED OR
MINIMALLY CARVED.
  D. "WORKED IVORY" MEANS ANY ELEPHANT OR MAMMOTH TUSK,  AND  ANY  PIECE
THEREOF, WHICH IS NOT RAW IVORY.
  2.  EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION,
NO PERSON SHALL  SELL,  OFFER  FOR  SALE,  PURCHASE,  TRADE,  BARTER  OR
DISTRIBUTE AN IVORY ARTICLE OR RHINOCEROS HORN.
  3.  UNLESS  SUCH  ACTIVITY IS PROHIBITED BY FEDERAL LAW, RULE OR REGU-
LATION, THE COMMISSIONER MAY ISSUE LICENSES OR  PERMITS  FOR  THE  SALE,
OFFERING FOR SALE, PURCHASE, TRADING, BARTERING OR DISTRIBUTION OF IVORY
ARTICLES OR RHINOCEROS HORNS, PROVIDED THAT:
  A. THE IVORY ARTICLE OR RHINOCEROS HORN IS PART OF A BONA FIDE ANTIQUE
AND  IS  LESS  THAN  TWENTY  PERCENT  BY VOLUME OF SUCH ANTIQUE, AND THE
ANTIQUE STATUS OF SUCH ANTIQUE IS ESTABLISHED BY  THE  OWNER  OR  SELLER
THEREOF  WITH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION EVIDENCING PROVENANCE AND SHOWING
THE ANTIQUE TO BE NOT LESS THEN ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD12104-01-4

S. 7890                             2

  B. THE DISTRIBUTION OR CHANGE OF POSSESSION OF THE  IVORY  ARTICLE  OR
RHINOCEROS  HORN IS FOR BONA FIDE EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, OR
TO A MUSEUM CHARTERED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS PURSUANT TO THE  EDUCATION
LAW; OR
  C.  THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF THE IVORY ARTICLE OR RHINOCEROS HORN IS TO A
LEGAL BENEFICIARY OF A TRUST OR TO AN HEIR OR DISTRIBUTEE OF AN  ESTATE;
OR
  D.  THE  IVORY ARTICLE OR RHINOCEROS HORN IS PART OF A MUSICAL INSTRU-
MENT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, STRING  AND  WIND  INSTRUMENTS  AND
PIANOS, AND THE OWNER OR SELLER PROVIDES HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION AS THE
DEPARTMENT  MAY  REQUIRE,  DEMONSTRATING PROVENANCE AND SHOWING THE ITEM
WAS MANUFACTURED NO LATER THAN NINETEEN HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE.
  S 2. Section 71-0924 of the environmental conservation law,  as  added
by chapter 69 of the laws of 1988, and subdivision 4 as amended by chap-
ter 417 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
S  71-0924.  Illegal  commercialization of fish, shellfish, crustaceans,
             and wildlife.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, when a  violation
involves  the  sale,  trade  or  barter of fish, shellfish, crustaceans,
wildlife, or parts thereof, the  sale,  trade  or  barter  of  which  is
prohibited by the fish and wildlife law, the following additional penal-
ties shall be imposed:
  1. where the value of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, wildlife, or parts
thereof,  is  two  hundred fifty dollars or less, the offense shall be a
violation punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars and/or  not  more
than fifteen days of imprisonment;
  2. where the value of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, wildlife, or parts
thereof, is  more than two hundred fifty dollars but does not exceed one
thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  the  offense  shall  be a misdemeanor
punishable by a fine of five thousand dollars and/or not more  than  one
year of imprisonment; [and]
  3. where the value of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, wildlife, or parts
thereof,  exceeds  one  thousand five hundred dollars, the offense shall
constitute a class E felony under the provisions of  the  penal  law[.];
AND
  4.  WHERE THE VALUE OF IVORY ARTICLES, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 11-0535-A
OF THIS CHAPTER, EXCEEDS TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, THE OFFENSE SHALL
CONSTITUTE A CLASS D FELONY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE PENAL LAW.
  [4.] 5. For the purposes of this section the value of fish, shellfish,
crustaceans  and  wildlife  shall  be the fair market value of or actual
price paid for such resource, whichever is greater.    For  purposes  of
this  section,  "sale"  shall  include  the  acts of selling, trading or
bartering and all related acts, such as the act of  offering  for  sale,
trade  or barter, and shall also include the illegal possession of fish,
shellfish, wildlife or crustacea  with  intent  to  sell.  It  shall  be
presumptive  evidence  of possession with intent to sell when such fish,
shellfish, wildlife or crustacea is possessed  in  quantities  exceeding
the  allowable  recreational  quantities, or is possessed in a retail or
wholesale outlet commonly used for the buying or selling of  such  fish,
shellfish,  wildlife  or  crustacea,  provided, however, that nothing in
this subdivision shall preclude the admission of  other  evidence  which
may serve to independently prove a defendant's intent to sell.
  S  3. Section 71-0925 of the environmental conservation law is amended
by adding a new subdivision 16 to read as follows:
  16. IF THE VIOLATION WAS AN ACT PROHIBITED  BY  SECTION  11-0535-A  OF
THIS  CHAPTER, NOT MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR NOT MORE THAN TWO

S. 7890                             3

TIMES THE VALUE OF THE ARTICLE INVOLVED, WHICHEVER IS  GREATER.  IF  THE
VIOLATION IS A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION OF SUCH SECTION 11-0535-A,
NOT  MORE  THAN  SIX  THOUSAND  DOLLARS OR NOT MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE
VALUE OF THE ARTICLE INVOLVED, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
  S  4. Within 30 days of the effective date of this act, the department
of environmental conservation shall maintain on its website  information
regarding the prohibition on the sale and purchase of ivory articles and
rhinoceros horns in the state.
  S 5. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part
of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to
be invalid and after exhaustion of  all  further  judicial  review,  the
judgment  shall  not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof,
but shall be confined in its operation to the  clause,  sentence,  para-
graph,  section or part of this act directly involved in the controversy
in which the judgment shall have been rendered.
  S 6. No later than January 1, 2020, the  department  of  environmental
conservation shall prepare a report outlining enforcement activities and
recommendations  regarding  any  necessary  changes,  including  but not
limited to the extension or repeal of this act.
  S 7. This act shall take effect immediately;  provided,  however,  any
person  who  has  been  issued  a license or permit allowing the sale of
elephant ivory articles or rhinoceros horns prior to the effective  date
of  this  act  may  sell  such articles listed on such license or permit
until such license or permit has expired.

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