S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9424
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 14, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SMULLEN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
   establishing a hunting mentorship program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by  adding  a
 new section 11-0936 to read as follows:
 § 11-0936. HUNTING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
   1.  AS  USED  IN  THIS SECTION, "QUALIFIED HUNTING MENTOR" OR "MENTOR"
 MEANS A PERSON WHO SATISFIES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
   (A) THE PERSON IS TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER;
   (B) THE PERSON HOLDS BOTH A VALID CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION OF A HUNT-
 ERS' EDUCATION COURSE AND A CURRENT VALID HUNTING LICENSE;
   (C) THE PERSON IS THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON FOR  WHOM  THEY
 ARE  SERVING  AS  A MENTOR OR IS AUTHORIZED BY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO
 SERVE AS A MENTOR; PROVIDED THAT THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT  APPLY  TO  A
 PERSON  SERVING  AS A MENTOR FOR A PERSON WHO IS TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE
 OR OLDER; AND
   (D) AT ALL TIMES WHEN SERVING  AS  A  QUALIFIED  HUNTING  MENTOR,  THE
 PERSON  IS WITHIN ARM'S REACH OF THE PERSON FOR WHOM THEY ARE SERVING AS
 A MENTOR.
   2. A PERSON WHO IS AT LEAST TEN YEARS OF  AGE  MAY  HUNT  SMALL  GAME,
 FOWL,  DEER  OR  BEAR  IN  THIS  STATE DURING APPLICABLE SEASONS WITHOUT
 OBTAINING A HUNTING LICENSE OR HUNTER'S EDUCATION  COURSE  CERTIFICATION
 AND  MAY,  WHILE  HUNTING,  POSSESS OR CONTROL A FIREARM IF AT ALL TIMES
 WHEN HUNTING, THE PERSON IS WITHIN ARM'S REACH OF  A  QUALIFIED  HUNTING
 MENTOR.
   3. A PERSON WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO HUNT WITH A MENTOR UNDER THIS SECTION
 AND  A MENTOR UNDER THIS SECTION WITH WHOM THAT PERSON HUNTS MAY JOINTLY
 HAVE ONLY ONE FIREARM, ONLY ONE BOW, OR, IF  HUNTING  WITH  A  CROSSBOW,
 ONLY ONE CROSSBOW IN THEIR POSSESSION OR CONTROL WHILE HUNTING.
   4. A QUALIFIED HUNTING MENTOR MAY SERVE AS A MENTOR UNDER THIS SECTION
 FOR ONLY ONE PERSON AT A TIME ON ANY HUNTING TRIP.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14550-01-4