Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote, or participate in any animal killing contest, competition, tournament or derby where the objective of such contest or competition is to take the largest number of small game, wild birds, other than wild turkeys, and domestic game birds.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A722B
SPONSOR: Glick (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to making animal killing contests, competitions, tournaments
and derbys unlawful
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will make it unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor,
conduct, promote or participate in any contest, competition, tournament,
or derby with the objective of taking or hunting the largest number of
small game, wild birds other than turkeys, and domestic game birds for
prizes for other inducement, or for entertainment.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one. Subdivisions 14, 15 and 16 of section 11-0901 of the envi-
ronmental conservation law, subdivision 14 as renumbered by chapter 486
of the laws of 1985, are renumbered subdivisions 15, 16, and 17 and a
new subdivision 14 is added to read as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 14. Makes it unlawful for any person to organize,
sponsor, conduct, promote or participate in any contest, competition,
tournament, or derby with the objective of taking or hunting the largest
number of small game, wild birds other than turkeys, and domestic game
birds for prizes for other inducement, or for entertainment. The
provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to special dog training
areas or field trials.
Section 2. Section 71-0921 of the environmental conservation law is
amended by adding a new subdivision 10-a to read as follows: 10-a.
Violations of subdivision fourteen of section of 11-0901 of this chapter
involving unlawful contests, competitions, tournaments and derbys to
take small game, wild birds other than-turkeys, and domestic game birds.
Each such misdemeanor shall be punished by imprisonment for not more
than one year or by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor
more than two thousand dollars, or by both such imprisonment and fine.
Section 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Animal killing competitions can generally be described as contests where
the person or team who has killed the most animals, or the heaviest or
largest animals is crowned the winner.
In animal killing competitions, individuals compete to kill the most
animals, the heaviest animal, or the largest animal. Competition s or
contests such as these are inhumane and provide incentive to killing
animals for glory, prizes or titles. They are different from the average
hunting experience since they are often rigged with animals that cannot
escape. In many cases, these competitions are conducted in a party-like
atmosphere and are more like slaughters or massacres and are unsports-
manlike. These competitions would be considered cruel by a typical hunt-
er and promote excessive and unnecessary killing of wildlife.
This bill will ensure that it is illegal in New York State to sponsor or
participate in competitions with the objective of taking or hunting the
largest number of small game, wild birds other than turkeys, and domes-
tic game birds and that anyone in violation is guilty of a misdemeanor
punishable by imprisonment or fine, or both. This bill does not prohib-
it. the organization of or participation in fishing derbys or field
trials.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2017-18:A.4116A
2015-16:A.3855
2013-14:A.3661
2011-12:A.3509
2009-10:A.2559
2007-08:A.2614
2005-06:A.1822
2003-04:A.7985
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
722--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GLICK, COOK, L. ROSENTHAL, ENGLEBRIGHT, COLTON,
D'URSO, McDONOUGH, SIMON, ORTIZ, DINOWITZ, LIFTON, PAULIN, O'DONNELL,
RAMOS -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. EPSTEIN, HEVESI -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation -- commit-
tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
mitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
making animal killing contests, competitions, tournaments and derbys
unlawful
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions 14, 15 and 16 of section 11-0901 of the envi-
2 ronmental conservation law, subdivision 14 as renumbered by chapter 486
3 of the laws of 1985, are renumbered subdivisions 15, 16 and 17 and a new
4 subdivision 14 is added to read as follows:
5 14. It shall be unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor, conduct,
6 promote, or participate in any contest, competition, tournament, or
7 derby with the objective of taking the largest number of small game,
8 wild birds, other than wild turkeys, and domestic game birds for prizes
9 or other inducement, or for entertainment. Any small game, wild birds,
10 other than turkeys, and domestic game birds injured during the course of
11 a contest, competition, tournament, or derby conducted in violation of
12 this subdivision shall be transported to a licensed wildlife rehabilita-
13 tor or veterinarian for treatment or humane euthanasia if best efforts
14 to rehabilitate and release the animal fail. The remains of any small
15 game, wild birds, other than turkeys, and domestic game birds killed
16 during the course of a contest, competition, tournament, or derby
17 conducted in violation of this subdivision shall be forfeited by every
18 organizer, promoter, participant or any other person conducting or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05042-04-9
A. 722--B 2
1 involved in such contest, competition, tournament, or derby and the
2 remains of such small game, wild birds, other than turkeys, and domestic
3 game birds shall become the property of the department. The provisions
4 of this subdivision shall not apply to special dog training areas or
5 field trials pursuant to sections 11-0925 and 11-0927 of this title, or
6 similar canine performance events.
7 § 2. Section 71-0921 of the environmental conservation law is amended
8 by adding a new subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
9 10-a. Violations of subdivision fourteen of section 11-0901 of this
10 chapter involving unlawful contests, competitions, tournaments and
11 derbys to take small game, wild birds, other than turkeys, and domestic
12 game birds. Each such misdemeanor shall be punishable by imprisonment
13 for not more than one year or by a fine of not less than five hundred
14 dollars nor more than two thousand dollars, or by both such imprisonment
15 and fine.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
17 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.