New York Senate Bill S05835

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/25
• Refer: 3/3/25
• Engrossed: 6/6/25
• Refer: 6/6/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Waives fishing, hunting and trapping license fees for certain first responders.

Summary

S05835 amends New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to expand the list of people who may receive free fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses. Under current law, certain tribal members, qualifying military personnel, and some blind residents already receive fee waivers. This bill adds a new category: a resident who is a certified first responder and who was disabled as a result of a certified World Trade Center medical condition would be entitled to free fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses. The measure is narrowly targeted and does not create a new licensing program; it modifies an existing fee-waiver provision in the state’s wildlife licensing laws. It would take effect immediately upon enactment and would apply only to the specified first responders meeting the disability and certification requirements tied to World Trade Center-related medical conditions.

Impact

The bill would amend ECL section 11-0715, subdivision 2, by adding certified first responders disabled by a certified World Trade Center medical condition to the list of residents eligible for no-cost fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses. The practical effect is a reduction in license-fee revenue for the state for this limited group, while leaving the underlying licensing rules and eligibility framework intact for all other applicants. It primarily affects the Department of Environmental Conservation’s administration of recreational licenses and the small class of first responders covered by the bill.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received favorably. It passed the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee unanimously on March 11, 2025, and later passed the Senate floor by a wide margin of 52-1 on June 6, 2025. A subsequent committee vote on January 20, 2026 also passed unanimously. The voting pattern suggests broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the available record.

Contention

No committee transcript is available, and the recorded votes show minimal opposition, so there is little evidence of substantive controversy. Any potential point of contention would likely center on whether the fee waiver should be limited to first responders disabled by World Trade Center-related conditions rather than extended more broadly to other disabled first responders or other veterans and public safety personnel. The bill’s narrow eligibility criteria may also raise administrative questions about certification and proof of qualifying disability, but no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.