S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2274
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, BARRETT, CROUCH -- Multi-Sponsored by --
   M. of A.  McDONOUGH, RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
   management of wildlife resources

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  3  of  section  11-0507 of the environmental
 conservation law is amended to read as follows:
   3. No person shall willfully liberate within the  state  any  wildlife
 except  under  permit from the department. The department may issue such
 permit in its discretion, fix the terms thereof and revoke it at  pleas-
 ure.  These provisions do not apply to migratory game birds, importation
 of which is governed by regulation of the department OR TO  THE  RELEASE
 OF  RING-NECKED  PHEASANT OR QUAIL DURING THE PERIOD AUGUST SIXTEENTH TO
 APRIL FIFTEENTH.
   § 2. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 11-0925 of  the  environ-
 mental conservation law, as added by chapter 432 of the laws of 1997, is
 amended to read as follows:
   b.  The operator of a special dog training area may at any time during
 the year train the operator's own dogs or the dogs of other  persons  on
 such  area, and permit others to train dogs. The operator may hold field
 trials on wild game, or on liberated game, or on liberated  artificially
 propagated  game,  or  on led or confined game, or may in writing permit
 others to hold such trials, under such conditions  as  shall  be  agreed
 upon  by  the operator and such other person; but no game shall be taken
 by shooting at such field trial. No persons  shall,  on  a  special  dog
 training  area,  train a dog, hold a field trial, enter accompanied by a
 dog, or permit a dog of which he is  the  owner  or  trainer  to  enter,
 except  as provided in this section or in rules adopted pursuant hereto.
 A permit from the department must be obtained before liberation  of  any
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02019-01-9

 A. 2274                             2
 
 wildlife, EXCEPT FOR THE RELEASE OF RING-NECKED PHEASANT OR QUAIL DURING
 THE  PERIOD AUGUST SIXTEENTH TO APRIL FIFTEENTH and such a permit may be
 withheld if, in the opinion of the department, granting it would  endan-
 ger the health of native wildlife species.
   §  3.  Paragraph b of subdivision 2 of section 11-0927 of the environ-
 mental conservation law is amended to read as follows:
   b. A permit from the department is  required  for  liberation  of  any
 wildlife. THIS PROVISION DOES NOT APPLY TO RELEASE OF RING-NECKED PHEAS-
 ANT OR QUAIL DURING THE PERIOD AUGUST SIXTEENTH TO APRIL FIFTEENTH.
   §  4.  Paragraphs c and c-1 and the closing paragraph of subdivision 2
 of section 11-0903 of the environmental conservation law, paragraph c as
 amended and paragraph c-1 as added by chapter 366 of the  laws  of  2011
 and  the closing paragraph of subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 911 of
 the laws of 1990, are amended to read as follows:
   c. pheasants [anywhere in the state other than Long Island];
   [c-1. pheasants on Long Island, but only  for  those  individuals  who
 hold  a  junior  license,  and provided that such youth pheasant hunting
 days are held prior to the start of the  open  season  as  indicated  in
 paragraph d of subdivision two of section 11-0905 of this title;]
   Such  open  seasons and bag limits may be fixed for the entire state[,
 except on Long Island in the case of pheasants], or for  any  county  or
 part  thereof,  giving due regard to abundance of the species and poten-
 tial  hunting  pressure.  The  department  may  regulate   the   taking,
 possession and disposition of wild turkeys.
   §  5.  Paragraphs  d  and e of subdivision 2 of section 11-0905 of the
 environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 911 of the laws of
 1990, are amended to read as follows:
 
 d. Ring-necked           [Long Island November  Long Island, four]
     pheasant             [1 through December    birds in one day,
                          31. Elsewhere, fixed   thirty during season.]
                          FIXED annually by      [Elsewhere, fixed] FIXED
                          regulation             annually by regulation
 
 e. Quail                 [Orange, Putnam and    Orange, Putnam and
                          Westchester counties,  Westchester counties;
                          fixed] FIXED annually  [four birds in one day,]
                          by regulation[; Long   ten during season.
                          Island, November 1     Long Island, six birds
                          through December 31    in one day, forty
                                                 during season]
                                                 FIXED ANNUALLY BY
                                                 REGULATION.
 
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.