Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8823
I N S E N A T E
January 8, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the
department of environmental conservation's regulation of crabs; and to
amend a chapter of the laws of 2025, amending the environmental
conservation law relating to extending certain provisions relating to
the department of environmental conservation's regulation of crabs,
and to prohibiting the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial and
biomedical purposes, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4289
and A. 4997, in relation to the effectiveness thereof; and providing
for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 13-0331 of the environmental
conservation law, as amended by section 1 of a chapter of the laws of
2025, amending the environmental conservation law relating to extending
certain provisions relating to the department of environmental conserva-
tion's regulation of crabs, and to prohibiting the taking of horseshoe
crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 4289 and A. 4997, is amended to read as follows:
7. The department may, until December thirty-first, two thousand
[twenty-seven] TWENTY-NINE, fix by regulation measures for the manage-
ment of crabs of any kind including horseshoe crabs (Limulus sp.),
including minimum and maximum size limits, catch and possession limits,
open and closed seasons including lunar closures, closed areas,
restrictions on the manner of taking and landing including a prohibition
on the harvest of crabs in amplexus, requirements for permits and eligi-
bility therefor, recordkeeping requirements, requirements on the amount
and type of fishing effort and gear, and requirements relating to trans-
portation, possession and sale, provided that such regulations are no
less restrictive than requirements set forth in this chapter and
provided further that such regulations are consistent with the compli-
ance requirements of applicable fishery management plans adopted by the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and with applicable
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07626-04-6
S. 8823 2
provisions of fishery management plans adopted pursuant to the Federal
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1800 et seq.).
§ 2. Subdivision 7 of section 13-0331 of the environmental conserva-
tion law, as amended by section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2025,
amending the environmental conservation law relating to extending
certain provisions relating to the department of environmental conserva-
tion's regulation of crabs, and to prohibiting the taking of horseshoe
crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 4289 and A. 4997, is amended to read as follows:
7. The department may, until December thirty-first, two thousand
[twenty-seven] TWENTY-NINE, fix by regulation measures for the manage-
ment of crabs of any kind, excluding horseshoe crabs (Limulus sp.),
including minimum and maximum size limits, catch and possession limits,
open and closed seasons including lunar closures, closed areas,
restrictions on the manner of taking and landing including a prohibition
on the harvest of crabs in amplexus, requirements for permits and eligi-
bility therefor, recordkeeping requirements, requirements on the amount
and type of fishing effort and gear, and requirements relating to trans-
portation, possession and sale, provided that such regulations are no
less restrictive than requirements set forth in this chapter and
provided further that such regulations are consistent with the compli-
ance requirements of applicable fishery management plans adopted by the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and with applicable
provisions of fishery management plans adopted pursuant to the Federal
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1800 et seq.).
§ 3. The department of environmental conservation is hereby authorized
and directed to take any actions necessary to ensure that any quota
limiting the taking of horseshoe crabs (Limulus sp.) pursuant to section
13-0331 of the environmental conservation law shall:
(1) in 2026, not exceed seventy-five percent of the annual commercial
horseshoe crab quota established by the department of environmental
conservation in the 2025 Horseshoe Crab Quota Distribution Plan, devel-
oped pursuant to 6 NYCRR 44.3 (b);
(2) in 2027, not exceed fifty percent of the annual commercial
horseshoe crab quota established by the department of environmental
conservation in the 2025 Horseshoe Crab Quota Distribution Plan devel-
oped pursuant to 6 NYCRR 44.3 (b); and
(3) in 2028, not exceed twenty-five percent of the annual commercial
horseshoe crab quota established by the department of environmental
conservation in the 2025 Horseshoe Crab Quota Distribution Plan, devel-
oped pursuant to 6 NYCRR 44.3 (b).
§ 4. Section 3 of a chapter of the laws of 2025, amending the environ-
mental conservation law relating to extending certain provisions relat-
ing to the department of environmental conservation's regulation of
crabs, and to prohibiting the taking of horseshoe crabs for commercial
and biomedical purposes, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
4289 and A. 4997, is amended to read as follows:
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the provisions of section two of this act shall take effect January 1,
[2026] 2029.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the provisions of sections one and two of this act shall take effect on
the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025,
amending the environmental conservation law relating to extending
certain provisions relating to the department of environmental conserva-
tion's regulation of crabs, and to prohibiting the taking of horseshoe
S. 8823 3
crabs for commercial and biomedical purposes, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 4289 and A. 4997, takes effect; and provided, however,
that the provisions of section three of this act shall expire and be
deemed repealed January 1, 2029.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.