A 2312: Allows a person who is at least ten years of age to hunt small game, fowl, deer or bear during applicable seasons without obtaining a hunting license or hunter's education course certification and to possess or control a firearm if the person is within arm's reach of a qualified hunting mentor.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2312 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SMULLEN, K. BROWN, TAGUE, PALMESANO, JENSEN, MANKTELOW, MAHER, McDONOUGH, LEMONDES, BRABENEC, DiPIETRO, GIGLIO, HAWLEY, DeSTEFANO, ANGELINO, E. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing a hunting mentorship program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a 2 new section 11-0936 to read as follows: 3 § 11-0936. Hunting mentorship program. 4 1. As used in this section, "qualified hunting mentor" or "mentor" 5 means a person who satisfies all of the following requirements: 6 (a) the person is twenty-one years of age or older; 7 (b) the person holds both a valid certificate of completion of a hunt- 8 ers' education course and a current valid hunting license; 9 (c) the person is the parent or guardian of the person for whom they 10 are serving as a mentor or is authorized by the parent or guardian to 11 serve as a mentor; provided that this requirement does not apply to a 12 person serving as a mentor for a person who is twenty-one years of age 13 or older; and 14 (d) at all times when serving as a qualified hunting mentor, the 15 person is within arm's reach of the person for whom they are serving as 16 a mentor. 17 2. A person who is at least ten years of age may hunt small game, 18 fowl, deer or bear in this state during applicable seasons without 19 obtaining a hunting license or hunter's education course certification 20 and may, while hunting, possess or control a firearm if at all times 21 when hunting, the person is within arm's reach of a qualified hunting 22 mentor. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03556-01-5 
 A. 2312 2 1 3. A person who is authorized to hunt with a mentor under this section 2 and a mentor under this section with whom that person hunts may jointly 3 have only one firearm, only one bow, or, if hunting with a crossbow, 4 only one crossbow in their possession or control while hunting. 5 4. A qualified hunting mentor may serve as a mentor under this section 6 for only one person at a time on any hunting trip. 7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.