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Senate bill · S4289 (2025-26)

Extends DEC's authority to regulate management of crabs, and prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes

Latest action Dec 19, 2025

Summary

Extends DEC's authority to regulate management of crabs to 12/31/2027; prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes.

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Where it stands

Signed into law.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A4997, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A4997, the matching Assembly bill.

Amends the Environmental Conservation Law.

Committee

Environmental Conservation · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Environmental Conservation · New York State Senate, Rules · New York State Assembly, Rules · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1 of the bill would extend until December 31, 2027, the ability for the department of environmental conservation to fix by regulation measures for the management of crabs of any kind. Section 2 of the bill prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs, including for commercial and biomedical purposes and authorizes the commissioner, through rules and regulations, to allow the taking of horseshoe crabs for education and scientific purposes. Section 3 of the bill establishes the effective date.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 11, 2025Result: passedSenate vote on A4997, the matching Assembly bill.

    (43) (16) (0) (4)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Environmental Conservation

    Senate Environmental ConservationMay 20, 2025Result: passed

    (10) (1) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Chris Burdick, Dana Levenberg and 8 more on Agora

  • Democratic10
See the full list on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

Horseshoe crabs have existed largely unchanged on Earth for over 400 million years. They are an integral part of the marine ecosystem; their eggs are consumed by other animal species and they supply the energy migratory shorebirds require, particularly the threatened Red Knot. The horseshoe crab's unique ecological role is imperiled by their declining population due to overharvesting for use as bait and for use of their blood by the biomedical industry. In order for their population to grow, New York must join neighboring coastal states in prohibiting the taking of this ancient species.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

  1. Dec 19, 2025

    Approval MEMO.35

    APPROVAL MEMO.35

    NY Assembly

  2. Dec 19, 2025

    Signed

    SIGNED CHAP.653

    NY Assembly

  3. Dec 8, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR

    NY Assembly

  4. Jun 11, 2025

    3RD Reading CAL.1375

    3RD READING CAL.1375

    NY Senate

  5. Jun 11, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

Show full history (13 earlier events)
  1. Jun 11, 2025

    Substituted

    SUBSTITUTED BY A4997

    NY Senate

  2. Jun 5, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO SENATE

    NY Assembly

  3. Jun 5, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  4. Jun 5, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  5. Jun 4, 2025

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  6. May 29, 2025

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  7. May 29, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED

    NY Assembly

  8. May 29, 2025

    Rules Report CAL.313

    RULES REPORT CAL.313

    NY Assembly

  9. May 28, 2025

    1ST Report CAL.1375

    1ST REPORT CAL.1375

    NY Senate

  10. May 28, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Assembly

  11. May 20, 2025

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO CODES

    NY Assembly

  12. Feb 10, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Assembly

  13. Feb 3, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

    NY Senate

About this record

Summary

The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.

Cosponsors

The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Party colors

Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.

Source

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

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