Assembly Bill A10095

                                BILL NUMBER:A10095

TITLE  OF BILL:   An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to providing that persons  participating  in  a  non-commercial
fishing  class  or clinic sponsored by a school or university are exempt
from fishing license requirements

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The purpose of this bill is to  comple-
ment the curriculum one participates in when learning the sport of fish-
ing.  It  will  allow  students  of  those clinics to not only learn the
fundamentals of the sport but also enable them to acquire hands on expe-
rience prior to applying for a license.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:   The  bill  amends  the  provisions  of
Section  11-0707  of  the Environmental conservation law by adding a new
subdivision 10. The new subdivision reads "Persons  participating  in  a
non-commercial  fishing class or clinic sponsored by a school or univer-
sity may take fish and frogs as if they  held  fishing  licenses  except
that  they  may  not  take bait fish by net or trap". The new section is
effective immediately.

JUSTIFICATION: Schools and Universities around New York State hold  many
different classes and clinics educating those interested in learning the
sport of fishing. This type of education helps to build a proper founda-
tion  of fundamentals involved in participating in the sport. Currently,
anyone aged 16 and older is required to hold  a  valid  New  York  State
              

fishing license. This means that those enrolled in the classes and clin-
ics  that  do  not  hold  a  valid license are not permitted to actually
participate in the sport.

By not allowing those learning the fundamentals of the sport to actually
participate in it without a license, students aren't receiving the  full
benefit  of education. This would he like enrolling in a Driver's Educa-
tion course that was solely  based  in  the  classroom.  A  teacher  can
explain  how to shift gears and when to use turn signals, but one cannot
truly understand the concept until sitting behind the wheel  of  a  car.
Because  new  drivers  are  required to hold only their Driver's pen-nit
when enrolled in a driving course, they are able to  get  the  hands  on
experience needed for when they apply for their actual license.

This  bill would create a sort of "temporary" situation for those inter-
ested in acquiring their fishing license but do not have  the  education
or  background  to do so, The classes and clinics can be thought of as a
type of "permit" enabling those enrolled in them to go out and  practice
what  is taught to them in the classroom. There is no negative impact on
New York State as it is expected that  those  enrolled  in  the  courses
would, after completion, apply for and buy their own fishing licenses.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill

FISCAL  IMPLICATIONS  FOR  STATE  AND  LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:   This bill is
expected to have an overall positive fiscal impact both on the state and

local levels. On the state level, it would prompt  those  who  completed
the  classes  to  go ahead and buy their official New York State fishing
license. On the local level, the bill  would  prompt  those  with  newly
acquired fishing licenses to purchase the equipment needed for the sport
from  both  large  and small businesses in their area. The bill may also
result in an overall increase of  tourism  throughout  New  York  State,
especially in areas that may not experience large amounts of tourism, if
any at all.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.