S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4238
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 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.
   §  2. Section 809-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 442 of
 the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   § 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.
                                                            LBD08410-01-3
 S. 4238                             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.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.