S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1625

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 13, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  O'MARA -- 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  and  the  education
  law,  in  relation  to  hunting, fishing and outdoor education in high
  school physical education courses

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

  Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  3-0301  of the environmental
conservation law is amended by adding a new  paragraph  aa  to  read  as
follows:
  AA.  DISSEMINATE  INFORMATION RELATING TO HUNTING, FISHING AND OUTDOOR
EDUCATION, IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION,  TO
PROMOTE  INSTRUCTION  IN  PHYSICAL  EDUCATION  COURSES  FOR  GRADES NINE
THROUGH TWELVE IN HUNTING, FISHING AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION. SUCH  INSTRUC-
TION SHALL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON THE:
  (1) VARIOUS HUNTING AND FISHING SEASONS;
  (2) SPECIES THAT CAN BE SOUGHT;
  (3) NECESSARY MATERIALS FOR OBTAINING HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES;
  (4) OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND EXERCISE PURPOSES; AND
  (5) HISTORY AND BENEFITS OF HUNTING AND FISHING IN THIS STATE'S DEVEL-
OPMENT;
  S  2. Section 809-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 442 of
the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
  S 809-a. Instruction in the safe use of firearms and in the game laws;
HUNTING, FISHING AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION.  1.    The  officer,  board,  or
commission  authorized  or required to prescribe courses of instructions
in any school under state control,  may  authorize  instructions  to  be
given  in  the safe and proper use of firearms allowed by law to be used
in the taking of wild game, and may also authorize  instructions  to  be
given  in  the study of game laws and of proper hunting and conservation

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD07421-01-5

              

S. 1625                             2

practices.  Such courses of instruction shall be approved  by  both  the
education department and the department of environmental conservation.
  2.    NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, A PUBLIC SECONDARY
SCHOOL SHALL, UPON THE REQUEST OF TEN OR MORE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN  SUCH
SCHOOL,  PROVIDE,  AS  A  COMPONENT  OF SUCH SCHOOL'S PHYSICAL EDUCATION
COURSE, INSTRUCTION IN HUNTING, FISHING  AND  OUTDOOR  EDUCATION,  WHICH
SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COURSES REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVI-
RONMENTAL  CONSERVATION  FOR  LICENSE  APPLICANTS.  THE COMMISSIONER, IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION,  SHALL ESTABLISH A CURRICULUM FOR THE HUNTING, FISHING AND
OUTDOOR EDUCATION COURSE, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
INSTRUCTION ON:
  (A) VARIOUS HUNTING AND FISHING SEASONS;
  (B) SPECIES THAT CAN BE SOUGHT;
  (C)   THE  NECESSARY  MATERIALS  FOR  OBTAINING  HUNTING  AND  FISHING
LICENSES;
  (D) OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND EXERCISE PURPOSES; AND
  (E) HISTORY AND BENEFITS OF HUNTING AND FISHING IN THIS STATE'S DEVEL-
OPMENT.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
the  date  on  which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that
effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
tive date is authorized and directed to be  made  and  completed  on  or
before such effective date.