S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6360
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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 clar-
   ifying provisions regarding the use of crossbows for hunting

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  11-0103 of the environmental conservation law is
 amended by adding a new subdivision 33 to read as follows:
   33. "LONG BOW" INCLUDES LONGBOWS, RECURVE  BOWS,  COMPOUND  BOWS,  AND
 CROSSBOWS.
   § 2. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
 of  the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of part EE
 of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   (9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of  a  bow  and
 string,  either  compound  or recurve, [that launches a minimum fourteen
 inch bolt, not including point,] mounted upon a  stock  with  a  trigger
 that  holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trig-
 ger unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum  limb
 width  of  such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a] minimum peak
 draw weight of SUCH CROSSBOW SHALL BE one hundred pounds [and a  maximum
 peak  draw  weight  of two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of
 such crossbow from buttstock to front  of  limbs  shall  be  twenty-four
 inches].
   § 3. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901
 of  the environmental conservation law, as added by section 7 of part EE
 of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   (9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of  a  bow  and
 string,  either  compound  or recurve, [that launches a minimum fourteen
 inch bolt, not including point,] mounted upon a  stock  with  a  trigger
 that  holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trig-
 ger unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum  limb

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10843-01-5
              

 S. 6360                             2

 width  of  such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a] minimum peak
 draw weight of SUCH CROSSBOW SHALL BE one hundred pounds [and a  maximum
 peak  draw  weight  of two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of
 such  crossbow  from  buttstock  to  front of limbs shall be twenty-four
 inches].
   § 4. Paragraph a of subdivision 1, paragraphs a and b of subdivision 8
 and subdivision 10 of section 11-0907 of the environmental  conservation
 law, paragraph a of subdivision 1 as amended and subdivision 10 as added
 by  section  14  and  paragraphs  a and b of subdivision 8 as amended by
 section 16 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended  to
 read as follows:
   a.  Wild  deer  without  antlers or having antlers measuring less than
 three inches in length shall not be taken unless it is taken (1) by long
 bow in a special long bow season established in subdivision [3] THREE of
 this section, or (2)  by  muzzle-loading  firearm  [or  crossbow]  in  a
 special  muzzle-loading  firearm  season  established in subdivision [8]
 EIGHT of this section, or (3) by long bow  in  Westchester  and  Suffolk
 Counties  in  a year in which a regular season for deer of either sex is
 established for such counties, or (4) in a special open season for  deer
 of  either  sex  fixed by regulation pursuant to subdivision [5] FIVE or
 [7] SEVEN of section 11-0903 of this title, or (5) pursuant to a special
 antlerless deer license in a special open season for antlerless deer  in
 a tract within a Wilderness Hunting Area fixed by regulation pursuant to
 subdivision [6] SIX of section 11-0903 of this title, or (6) pursuant to
 a deer management permit by a person eligible to take such deer pursuant
 thereto as provided in section 11-0913 of this title, or (7) pursuant to
 a permit issued to an eligible non-ambulatory person, pursuant to subdi-
 vision  [2] TWO of section 11-0931 of this title, while in possession of
 a valid license issued by the department which authorizes the holder  to
 hunt  big game. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit
 the power of the department to designate by regulation an area or  areas
 of  the  state  consisting  of  a  county or part of a county where such
 season shall apply and whether the number of such special permits  shall
 be limited.
   a.  In  every  area identified in column one of the table set forth in
 subdivision two of  this  section,  except  those  areas  restricted  to
 special  seasons  for  taking deer by longbow only, special open seasons
 may be established by regulation for taking deer and/or bear, by the use
 of muzzle-loading firearms, of not less  than  .44  caliber  shooting  a
 single  projectile[,  or  by the use of a crossbow,] by the holders of a
 hunting license with a valid muzzle-loading privilege.
   b. Such special open season for the Southern Zone  shall  be  for  the
 seven  day period immediately preceding the regular open season for deer
 stated in column two of the table set forth in subdivision two  of  this
 section,  except  that  the department may, by regulation, fix such open
 season in the Southern Zone or any portion  thereof  to  be  either  the
 seven  days  immediately  preceding or immediately following the regular
 open season for deer[, provided, however, that any  taking  of  deer  or
 bear by the use of a crossbow in a season or special season in which the
 muzzle  loader  is  the only firearm permitted shall succeed the regular
 open hunting season for deer established pursuant to subdivision two  of
 of this section].
   10.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of  this  chapter,  or any prior
 notwithstanding language in this article, the department may,  by  regu-
 lation, authorize the taking of big game by the use of a crossbow by any
 licensed  person in any big game season in any area [designated in items
 S. 6360                             3

 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (k) and (l) of paragraph a of  subdi-
 vision  two  of this section] in which a [shotgun or muzzle loader] LONG
 BOW is permitted [provided however, that  any  crossbow  use  during  an
 archery-only  season  shall  only  take  place  during the last fourteen
 consecutive days of  such  archery-only  season  in  the  southern  zone
 provided  that  such  archery-only season shall consist of not less than
 forty-five days and only during the last ten  consecutive  days  of  any
 archery-only season in the northern zone provided that such archery-only
 season shall consist of no less than twenty-three days. Any muzzle load-
 ing season which occurs at the same time as a special archery season may
 only occur during times when crossbows are authorized to be used].
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.