BILL NUMBER: S7772
SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
extending the authority of the department of environmental conservation
to manage weakfish
 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
extending the authority of the department of environ- mental conserva-
tion to manage weakfish The purpose of this bill is to extend the
authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to
manage weakfish.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill amends Environmental Conservation Law (ECL)
§ 13-0340-a to extend, until December 31, 2028, DEC's authority to fix
by regulation measures for the management of weakfish (Cynoscion regal-
is).
Section 2 of this bill provides that the bill shall take effect imme-
diately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
DEC's regulatory authority for weakfish is necessary in order to
preserve the current regulatory program. Failure to extend the existing
regulatory authority by December 31, 2025 will result in the loss of
regulatory protection for weakfish.
This bill would extend DEC's regulatory authority for an additional
three years, and ensure that DEC continues to maintain compliance with
the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Weakfish, adopted by
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. ECL
§ 13-0105, which sets forth the marine fisheries conservation and
management policy, provides that one of the State's objectives shall be
the management of the State's transboundary and migratory species
consistent with any interjurisdictional management plans, interstate or
state-federal. Moreover, failure to make necessary regulatory changes as
may be required by the FMP could result in the closure of New York's
weakfish fishery.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
DEC's regulatory authority was last extended by Chapter 306 of the Laws
of 2022.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S7772: 13-0340-a environmental conservation law