buckeye dan

Recent bill to include crossbows for the state of New York:

A00924 Summary:

BILL NO A00924

SAME AS Same as S 307

SPONSOR DelMonte

COSPNSR Gordon, Giglio, Gabryszak

MLTSPNSR Amedore, Bacalles, Hawley, Kellner, Molinaro, O`Mara, Quinn,
Scozzafava, Townsend

Amd S3-0301, En Con L

Authorizes the department of environmental conservation to promulgate standards
authorizing hunting with a crossbow by July 1, 2011.

A00924 Actions:

BILL NO A00924

01/07/2009 referred to environmental conservation

A00924 Votes:

A00924 Memo:

BILL NUMBER:A924

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to authorizing persons to hunt with a crossbow

PURPOSE:
This bill would allow the Department of Environmental Conservation to
promulgate standards to allow for a legalized crossbow hunting season.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends Subdivision 2 of section 3-0301 of the
environmental conservation law by allowing DEC to create standards to
allow for a legalized crossbow hunting season. As well as allowing the
use of a crossbow on private property during any deer hunting season.
This section also defines a crossbow as a bow and string that launches a
minimum fourteen inch arrow, which is mounted upon a stock with a trig-
ger that holds the string and limbs under tension until released. All
crossbows must have a working safety. The minimum limb width is defined
as seventeen inches, has a minimum peak draw weight of one hundred
pounds, and a maximum draw weight of two hundred pounds. It further
defines that the overall length of a crossbow from butt to the stock of
the limbs must be twenty-four inches.

JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, hunting with a crossbow is not permitted in New York State
except under very limited conditions relating to being almost completely
physically disabled. However, a person is permitted to hunt with a long-
bow. In states including Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio that allow the use
of crossbows, crossbows appear to be an important recruitment and
retention tool for hunters. Many people start out hunting with crossbows
and eventually switch to longbows or compound bows. Also, the sportsmen
in these states have realized that the recruitment of additional hunters
outweighs any differences over hunting tools.

The sportsmen`s cause and the future of hunting is only enhanced by more
people entering the ranks of active and participating sportsmen.
Further, these states found that crossbow use has not resulted in a
decrease in "bag limits," nor has poaching increased. As expected, where
crossbow hunting is permitted, it has been documented as a safe, respon-
sible and popular means of hunting, and it has had no ill effect on
wildlife resources or on any other group of sportsmen.

Crossbow seasons also create hunting opportunities for people with disa-
bilities, and those that cannot use a longbow or compound bow. Many
people want to hunt with archery equipment, but simply are not able to
physically maneuver a longbow or a compound bow - i.e. disabled persons,
older persons or persons that lack the upper body muscle strength needed
for longbows or compound bows. Crossbows can be used by all of these
persons, affording them the opportunity they are now missing. Finally,
the bill defines crossbow in accordance with the standards adopted by
the American Crossbow Federation.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.1333/A.5011 Referred to Environmental Conservation
2005/2006; Referred to Environmental Conservation
2007-2008; S.22/A8654 Referred to Environmental Conservation

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Positive to the State, as there will be an increase in the number of
licenses that are issued.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.


Bill text:
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
__________________________________________________ ______________________

924

2009-2010 Regular Sessions

I N A S S E M B L Y

(PREFILED)

January 7, 2009
___________

Introduced by M. of A. DelMONTE, GORDON, GIGLIO, GABRYSZAK -- Multi-
Sponsored by -- M. of A. AMEDORE, BACALLES, HAWLEY, KELLNER, MOLINA-
RO, O`MARA, QUINN, SCOZZAFAVA, TOWNSEND -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
authorizing persons to hunt with a crossbow

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 3-0301 of the environmental
2 conservation law is amended by adding a new paragraph dd to read as
3 follows:
4 DD. ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN PROMULGATE STANDARDS
5 TO ALLOW FOR LEGALIZED CROSSBOW HUNTING THROUGHOUT THE STATE INCLUDING
6 THE USE OF A CROSSBOW ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AS A LEGAL HUNTING IMPLEMENT
7 DURING ANY DEER HUNTING SEASON. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE
8 TERM "CROSSBOW" SHALL MEAN A BOW AND STRING (EITHER COMPOUND OR RECURVE)
9 THAT LAUNCHES A MINIMUM FOURTEEN INCH ARROW (NOT INCLUDING POINT),
10 MOUNTED UPON A STOCK WITH A TRIGGER THAT HOLDS THE STRING AND LIMBS
11 UNDER TENSION UNTIL RELEASED. THE TRIGGER UNIT MUST HAVE A WORKING SAFE-
12 TY. THE MINIMUM LIMB WIDTH TO A CROSSBOW SHALL BE SEVENTEEN INCHES, HAVE
13 A MINIMUM PEAK DRAW WEIGHT OF ONE HUNDRED POUNDS AND A MAXIMUM PEAK DRAW
14 WEIGHT OF TWO HUNDRED POUNDS. THE MINIMUM OVERALL LENGTH OF A CROSSBOW
15 FROM BUTT TO STOCK TO FRONT OF LIMBS SHALL BE TWENTY-FOUR INCHES.
16 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.



EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
{ } is old law to be omitted.
LBD01129-01-9

sits in trees

this is great news, just wish they could do this before 2011.....

LIAF

If passed this year they have till 7/2011 to set standards that means standards could be set up before that time. Could have x-bows here for 2010 season.

sits in trees

that would be supreme!

buckeye dan

This isn't the first bill of it's kind. They reach the Environmental Conservation committee and die. They just get swept under the rug each year and a new bill is recycled. I believe this is in large part due to the resistance of the NYB Inc.

If you NY folks don't want to see this one disappear like it's predecessors then I would urge you to contact everyone on this list and let them know how you feel:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm/?sec=mem&id=15

sits in trees

will do!!

duckgun

It's about time they got off their butts andmade crossbows legal. We have been waiting since 2004. The state needs more money and this is one way to get it. No doubt the NYB inc. will try to stop it again. A very selfish group IMO