NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8693

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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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 07, 2026	referred to environmental conservation

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6581
Current Committee:: Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§11-0103, 11-0701, 11-0703, 11-0707, 11-0901, 11-0903 & 11-0905, rpld §11-0905 sub 2 ¶¶t & u, En Con L

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Excludes certain amphibians and reptiles from the definition of small game and makes conforming changes.

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8693

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
excluding certain amphibians and reptiles from the definition of small
game; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill removes certain amphibians and reptiles from the list of small
game that can be taken with a hunting or fishing license in New York.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends Environmental Conservation Law 110103 to remove native
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, salamanders, turtles, excluding snapping
turtles, and lizards from the definition of small game.

Section 2 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0701(4) to remove
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may be

taken under a fishing license.

Section 3 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0703(6) (a) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may not be
taken without a fishing license.

Section 4 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0707(1) (c) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs, from the category of animals that may be taken
without a fishing license on agricultural properties.

Section 5 amends Environmental Conservation Law 110901(3) (c) to remove
frogs, excluding bullfrogs, from the list of animals that may be hunted
by longbow, gun, raptors, spearing, catching with the hands, or by use
of a club or hook, and allows DEC to determine the manner of taking for
bullfrogs.

Section 6 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0903(2) to remove
frogs, except bullfrogs salamanders, turtles, expect snapping turtles,
and lizards from the list of animals for which DEC may annually estab-
lish open season and bag limits.

Section 7 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0905(2) (t) and (u)
to remove the same animals from the table of open season and bag limits.

Section 8 amend Environmental Conservation Law 11-0905(2) to removes
frogs, except bull frogs, from the table of open season and bag limits.

Section 9 amends Environmental Conservation Law 11-0103 (6) to amend the
definition of "protected wildlife" and adds a new definition of "wild
reptiles" and "wild amphibians"

Section 10 provides an effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

We are experiencing a global extinction crisis 'driven by climate
change, habitat destruction, and pollution. Amphibians and reptiles are
among the most endangered animal species on the planet. 40% of amphibi-
ans worldwide are threatened with extinction. 60% of the world's turtles
are threatened or already extinct.

There are two amphibians and ten reptiles currently listed as threatened
or endangered in New York, with an additional ten species on the special
concern list. New York does not have a baseline inventory of populations
of native frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, snakes, lizards or turtles
so we do not know the extent of the decline in our state over the last
decades. Anecdotally, it is high.  The DEC Atlas project has attempted
to map distributions of our amphibians and reptiles and is currently
using volunteers to collect more data on these animals, but many local
populations are already in severe decline or extirpated.

Given the extreme threat to these sensitive creatures, it is common
sense to prohibit a further reduction in their populations due to hunt-
ing. This bill would remove certain amphibians and reptiles from the
list of animals that can be taken as small game in our state. The bill
will not affect nuisance permits or the rights of farmers to take
certain animals on their own farmland.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effective immediately.

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8693
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- 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
   excluding certain amphibians and reptiles from the definition of small
   game; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph c of subdivision 2  of  section  11-0103  of  the
 environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 706 of the laws of
 2005, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  "Small  game" means black, gray and fox squirrels, European hares,
 varying hares, cottontail rabbits,  [native  frogs]  BULLFROGS,  [native
 salamanders,  native]  COMMON SNAPPING turtles, [native lizards,] native
 snakes, coyotes, red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and gray  fox  (Urocyon  ciner-
 eoargenteus)  except captive bred red fox or gray fox, raccoon, opossum,
 or weasel, skunk, bobcat, lynx,  muskrat,  mink,  except  mink  born  in
 captivity,  fisher, otter, beaver, sable and marten but does not include
 coydogs.
   § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 11-0701 of the  environmental  conserva-
 tion  law, as amended by section 1-a of part R of chapter 58 of the laws
 of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   4. A fishing license entitles the holder  to  take  fish  by  angling,
 spearing,  hooking,  longbow  and  tipups,  to  take [frogs by spearing,
 catching with the hands or by use of a club or  hook,]  BULLFROGS  IN  A
 MANNER  DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN REGULATION and to take bait fish
 for personal use, as provided in titles 9 and 13 of this article, except
 that such license shall not entitle the holder to take migratory fish of
 the sea or to take fish from the waters of the marine district.
   § 3. Paragraph a of subdivision 6 of section 11-0703 of  the  environ-
 mental conservation law, as amended by section 2 of part R of chapter 58
 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  Except  as provided in section 11-0707 and section 11-0709 of this
 title, no person shall (1) hunt wildlife unless such person holds and is
 entitled to exercise the privileges  of  a  hunting  license;  (2)  hunt
 antlerless  deer  in a special open season therefor pursuant to subdivi-
 sion 6 of section 11-0903 of this article unless such person  holds  and
 is  entitled to exercise the privileges of and has on [his or her] THEIR

 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10326-07-5
 S. 8693                             2
 
 person while so hunting  a  hunting  license,  bowhunting  privilege  or
 muzzle-loading  privilege,  and  a  special antlerless deer license; (3)
 take fish or [frogs] BULLFROGS in the manner described in subdivision  4
 of section 11-0701 of this title unless such person is entitled to exer-
 cise  the privileges of a fishing license; (4) trap wildlife unless such
 person holds a trapping license.
   § 4. Paragraph c of subdivision 1 of section 11-0707 of  the  environ-
 mental  conservation law, as amended by chapter 721 of the laws of 1975,
 is amended to read as follows:
   c. to take fish and [frogs] BULLFROGS, except that they may  not  take
 bait  fish  by  net or trap, all as if they held the licenses defined in
 section 11-0701 and required by SUBDIVISION  SIX  OF  section  11-0703[,
 subdivision 6].
   §  5.  Paragraph c of subdivision 3 of section 11-0901 of the environ-
 mental conservation law, as amended by section 19 of part EE of  chapter
 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Wild  small game and wild upland game birds shall be taken only by
 longbow or gun, or by the use of raptors as provided in title 10 of this
 article, except that:
   (1) skunk, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, fox, mink and muskrat may be taken
 in any manner not prohibited in this section or in title 11 of [the Fish
 and Wildlife Law] THIS ARTICLE; AND
   (2) [frogs] BULLFROGS may [also] be taken [by spearing, catching  with
 the  hands, or by the use of a club or hook] IN ANY MANNER DETERMINED BY
 THE DEPARTMENT IN REGULATION; and
   (3) crossbows may be used but only by licensees who are fourteen years
 of age or older.
   § 6. Paragraph f of subdivision 2 of section 11-0903 of  the  environ-
 mental conservation law, as added by chapter 706 of the laws of 2005, is
 amended to read as follows:
   f.  [frogs, salamanders] BULLFROGS, COMMON SNAPPING turtles, [lizards]
 and snakes.
   § 7. Paragraphs t and u of subdivision 2 of  section  11-0905  of  the
 environmental conservation law are REPEALED.
   §  8.  Paragraph i of subdivision 2 of section 11-0905 of the environ-
 mental conservation law, as amended by chapter 256 of the laws of  1999,
 is amended to read as follows:
   i. [Frogs] BULLFROGS   Fixed annually        Fixed annually
                          by regulation         by regulation
 
   §  9.  Paragraph c of subdivision 6 of section 11-0103 of the environ-
 mental conservation law, as amended by chapter 706 of the laws of  2005,
 is amended and two new paragraphs f and g are added to read as follows:
   c.  "Protected  wildlife"  means  wild  game,  protected  wild  birds,
 protected insects, WILD REPTILES, WILD AMPHIBIANS,  species  of  special
 concern  and endangered and threatened species of wildlife designated by
 the department pursuant to section  11-0535  of  this  article,  species
 listed in section 11-0536 of this article and species protected pursuant
 to section 11-0311 of this article.
    F.  "WILD  REPTILES" MEANS ALL NATIVE LIZARDS AND TURTLES, OTHER THAN
 COMMON SNAPPING TURTLES, EXISTING IN A WILD STATE.
   G. "WILD AMPHIBIANS" MEANS ALL NATIVE TOADS, SALAMANDERS,  NEWTS,  AND
 FROGS, OTHER THAN BULLFROGS, EXISTING IN A WILD STATE.
   § 10. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S8693

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Actions

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Julia Salazar

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Actions

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8693 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments