The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5420
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  PALMESANO,  BARCLAY,  BLANKENBUSH, BRABENEC,
   BUTTENSCHON, J. M. GIGLIO,  HAWLEY,  LEMONDES,  MANKTELOW,  MORINELLO,
   NORRIS,  REILLY,  SMULLEN,  TAGUE  --  Multi-Sponsored  by -- M. of A.
   BYRNES, DiPIETRO, FRIEND, MILLER,  SAYEGH,  WALSH  --  read  once  and
   referred to the Committee on Education

 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08410-01-3

 A. 5420                             2
 
 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
 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.