S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4775
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 8, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  PALMESANO  --  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:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section  3-0301  of the environmental
    2  conservation law is amended by adding a new  paragraph  aa  to  read  as
    3  follows:
    4    AA.  DISSEMINATE  INFORMATION RELATING TO HUNTING, FISHING AND OUTDOOR
    5  EDUCATION, IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION,  TO
    6  PROMOTE  INSTRUCTION  IN  PHYSICAL  EDUCATION  COURSES  FOR  GRADES NINE
    7  THROUGH TWELVE IN HUNTING, FISHING AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION. SUCH  INSTRUC-
    8  TION SHALL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON THE:
    9    (1) VARIOUS HUNTING AND FISHING SEASONS;
   10    (2) SPECIES THAT CAN BE SOUGHT;
   11    (3)   THE  NECESSARY  MATERIALS  FOR  OBTAINING  HUNTING  AND  FISHING
   12  LICENSES;
   13    (4) OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND EXERCISE PURPOSES; AND
   14    (5) HISTORY AND BENEFITS OF HUNTING AND FISHING IN THIS STATE'S DEVEL-
   15  OPMENT;
   16    S 2. Section 809-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 442  of
   17  the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   18    S 809-a. Instruction in the safe use of firearms and in the game laws;
   19  HUNTING,  FISHING  AND  OUTDOOR  EDUCATION.  1.   The officer, board, or
   20  commission authorized or required to prescribe courses  of  instructions
   21  in  any  school  under  state  control, may authorize instructions to be
   22  given in the safe and proper use of firearms allowed by law to  be  used
   23  in  the  taking  of wild game, and may also authorize instructions to be
   24  given in the study of game laws and of proper hunting  and  conservation
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01267-01-3
       A. 4775                             2
    1  practices.    Such  courses of instruction shall be approved by both the
    2  education department and the department of environmental conservation.
    3    2.    NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, A PUBLIC SECONDARY
    4  SCHOOL SHALL, UPON THE REQUEST OF TEN OR MORE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN  SUCH
    5  SCHOOL,  PROVIDE,  AS  A  COMPONENT  OF SUCH SCHOOL'S PHYSICAL EDUCATION
    6  COURSE, INSTRUCTION IN HUNTING, FISHING  AND  OUTDOOR  EDUCATION,  WHICH
    7  SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COURSES REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVI-
    8  RONMENTAL  CONSERVATION  FOR  LICENSE  APPLICANTS.  THE COMMISSIONER, IN
    9  CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
   10  CONSERVATION,  SHALL ESTABLISH A CURRICULUM FOR THE HUNTING, FISHING AND
   11  OUTDOOR EDUCATION COURSE, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
   12  INSTRUCTION ON:
   13    (A) VARIOUS HUNTING AND FISHING SEASONS;
   14    (B) SPECIES THAT CAN BE SOUGHT;
   15    (C)   THE  NECESSARY  MATERIALS  FOR  OBTAINING  HUNTING  AND  FISHING
   16  LICENSES;
   17    (D) OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND EXERCISE PURPOSES; AND
   18    (E) HISTORY AND BENEFITS OF HUNTING AND FISHING IN THIS STATE'S DEVEL-
   19  OPMENT.
   20    S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
   21  the  date  on  which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that
   22  effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
   23  or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
   24  tive date is authorized and directed to be  made  and  completed  on  or
   25  before such effective date.