S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10073
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 3, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HUNTER -- (at request of the Department of Envi-
   ronmental Conservation) -- read once and referred to the Committee  on
   Environmental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
   extending the authority of the department of  environmental  conserva-
   tion  to manage deer and bear; and to amend chapter 600 of the laws of
   1993, amending the environmental  conservation  law  relating  to  the
   management of deer, in relation to the effectiveness of such chapter
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 13 of chapter 600 of the laws of 1993, amending the
 environmental conservation law relating to the management  of  deer,  as
 amended  by  chapter  207  of  the  laws  of 2021, is amended to read as
 follows:
   § 13. This act shall take effect immediately, provided  however,  that
 the  amendments  made to paragraph c of subdivision 1 of section 11-0907
 of the environmental conservation law made by section five of this  act,
 paragraph  a  of  subdivision  2 of section 11-0907 of the environmental
 conservation law made by section six of this act, paragraphs a and b  of
 subdivision  3  of section 11-0907 of the environmental conservation law
 made by section seven of this act,  paragraph  b  of  subdivision  2  of
 section  11-0907  of  the environmental conservation law made by section
 six of this act, paragraph c of subdivision 3 of section 11-0907 of  the
 environmental  conservation  law  made by section seven of this act, and
 subdivision 3 of section 11-0911 of the environmental  conservation  law
 made  by  section  eight of this act shall expire on December 31, [2024]
 2027.
   § 2. Subdivision 8, paragraph a of subdivision 9 and subdivision 10 of
 section 11-0903 of the environmental conservation  law,  as  amended  by
 chapter 207 of the laws of 2021, are amended to read as follows:
   8.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
 contrary, the department may, until December thirty-first, two  thousand
 [twenty-four]  TWENTY-SEVEN,  fix  by  regulation the open seasons, open
 areas, bag limit, manner of taking, possession and disposition  of  bear
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14287-01-4
 A. 10073                            2
 
 and parts of bears, and the intentional and incidental feeding of bears.
 Such  regulations  shall  implement the provisions of this article. Such
 regulations, as  the  department  deems  appropriate,  may  provide  for
 special  permits  and  permit quotas. When a special permit is required,
 the department may fix by regulation a fee for each such permit issued.
   a. Until December thirty-first, two thousand [twenty-four] TWENTY-SEV-
 EN, whenever in its opinion deer shall become  numerous  enough  in  any
 area  to  cause  substantial  damage to property or overbrowsing of deer
 range, the department may fix by regulation  special  open  seasons  for
 taking wild deer of either sex. Subject to this subdivision, the depart-
 ment may fix the conditions of such seasons.
   10.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent provision of subdivision 10 of
 section 11-0901 or subdivision 2, subdivision  3  or  subdivision  8  of
 section 11-0907 of this title, until December thirty-first, two thousand
 [twenty-four]  TWENTY-SEVEN, the department is authorized to adopt regu-
 lations with respect to the manner of taking, possession,  open  seasons
 and  bag  limits for deer. The authority to adopt such regulations is in
 addition to any authority contained in this section or  section  11-0913
 of  this  title  respecting regulations fixing open seasons for deer and
 the issuance of deer management permits.
   § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 11-0913 of  the  environ-
 mental  conservation law, as amended by chapter 207 of the laws of 2021,
 is amended to read as follows:
   a. Until December thirty-first, two thousand [twenty-four] TWENTY-SEV-
 EN, whenever in its opinion the population of deer in any  area  of  the
 state  except  in  the  northern zone is such that additional harvest of
 deer is reasonably necessary to properly manage the  deer  herd  in  the
 state  in balance with the available deer range and natural food supply,
 the department may provide by regulation for issuance of deer management
 permits, permitting the taking of one deer for the permit,  in  addition
 to  the limit of one deer that may otherwise be taken by one person in a
 license year.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.