Extends provisions of law relating to big game hunting authorization for the county of Onondaga

Latest action Aug 7, 2025

Extends provisions of law relating to big game hunting authorization for the county of Onondaga until October 1, 2027.

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Where it stands

Signed into law.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A8597, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A8597, the matching Assembly bill.

Committee

Environmental Conservation · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Environmental Conservation · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this bill is to allow hunting of big game with a rifle in Onondaga County.

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

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 9, 2025Result: passedSenate vote on A8597, the matching Assembly bill.
(61) (1) (0) (1)
Vote: Committee vote · Rules
Senate RulesJun 4, 2025Result: passed
(20) (0) (0) (1)

Cosponsors

John Lemondes

Republican1

John Lemondes

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Christopher Ryan says this is needed

Over 700,000 New York State residents hunt for big game in the State each year. Hunting is a crucial conservation tool that keeps deer and bear populations in check. Due to a variety of factors, the State's deer population has rapidly increased to over 1.2 million. The overabundance of deer negatively impacts farmers, homeowners, foresters, and drivers. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, hunters take around 220,000 deer annually, thereby reducing the problems that accom- pany deer overabundance. Hunters across most of the State are permitted to use rifles to hunt big game except in two Upstate counties - Onondaga and Livingston. Since 2005, several counties in the Finger Lakes Region, Central New York, and the Southern Tier have permitted hunting big game with rifles with very few reported itic:ittetifs or problems. Most recently, in 2020, Tompkins County was authorized to allow licensed hunters to use rifles for hunting big game. Since then, there have been no serious incidents reported in that county because of that authori- zation. Therefore, this bill should be passed to authorize big game hunting with rifles in Onondaga County.

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

Aug 7, 2025
Signed
SIGNED CHAP.243
NY Assembly
Aug 4, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
NY Assembly
Jun 9, 2025
3RD Reading CAL.1562
3RD READING CAL.1562
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED BY A8597
NY Senate

Show full history (10 earlier events)

Jun 4, 2025
In committee
COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jun 4, 2025
Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1562
ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1562
NY Senate
May 29, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO SENATE
NY Assembly
May 29, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
May 29, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
NY Senate
May 29, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
May 29, 2025
Rules Report CAL.367
RULES REPORT CAL.367
NY Assembly
May 28, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
NY Assembly
May 22, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
NY Assembly
May 15, 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 22, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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