NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1482

Senate Bill S1482

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to including the mourning dove within the definition of "migratory game birds" and to allow for their taking

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

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
Jan 10, 2025	referred to environmental conservation

2025-S1482 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3865
Current Committee:: Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §11-0103, En Con L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7202
2019-2020: S1598
2021-2022: S5502, A6523
2023-2024: S2210, A4565

2025-S1482 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Allows for the taking of Zenaida macroura, commonly known as the mourning dove, as a migratory bird.

2025-S1482 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1482

SPONSOR: O'MARA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
including the mourning dove within the definition of "migratory game
birds" and to allow for their taking

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Relates to including the mourning dove within the definition of "migra-
tory game birds" and to allow for their taking.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the environmental conservation law by including the
mourning dove within the definition of migratory game birds.

Section 2. States the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

Currently the mourning dove is not classified as a migratory game bird
and illegal to hunt in New York State. Mourning dove hunting ranked 8th
in hunter participation back in 2011 with 1,271,000 dove hunters in the
41 dove hunting states which include the US territory of Puerto Rico;
three Canadian providences (British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec), and
throughout Central and South America.

In the 1980s, Cornell researchers estimated New York's mourning dove
population to be around 10 million birds. With the future land use,
changes that includes reduced till agriculture, and permaculture are
likely to increase both the continental population and New York's popu-
lation of mourning doves. Establishing the mourning dove within the
definition of "migratory game birds" would make it consistent with the
federal classification and allow NYS DEC to implement a mourning dove
harvest strategy and hunting season for hunters to enjoy the full bene-
fits of wildlife in New York State.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018: S7202

2019: S1598

2021: S5502

2025: S2210

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that the
commissioner of environmental conservation shall promulgate any rules
and regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on or
before such effective date.

2025-S1482 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1482
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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,  in  relation  to
   including  the  mourning dove within the definition of "migratory game
   birds" and to allow for their taking

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subparagraph 1 of paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section
 11-0103 of the environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter  47
 of the laws of 1976, is amended to read as follows:
   (1)  "Migratory  game birds" means the Anatidae or waterfowl, commonly
 known as geese, brant, swans and river  and  sea  ducks;  the  Rallidae,
 commonly  known  as  rails, American coots, mud hens and gallinules; the
 Limicolae or shorebirds, commonly  known  as  woodcock,  snipe,  plover,
 surfbirds,  sandpipers,  tattlers  and  curlews;  the Corvidae, commonly
 known as jays, crows and magpies; THE ZENAIDA MACROURA,  COMMONLY  KNOWN
 AS THE MOURNING DOVE.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04401-01-5

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