New York S 9473: Enacting the lead-free game donation act

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
S09473 Summary:

BILL NOS09473 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A10352

&nbsp

SPONSORHARCKHAM

&nbsp

COSPNSRFAHY

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §11-0917, En Con L; amd §71-z, Ag & Mkts L

&nbsp

Prohibits game taken by a firearm using lead ammunition from being donated for human consumption.

Go to top S09473 Actions:

BILL NOS09473 

&nbsp

03/16/2026REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Go to topS09473 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09473 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09473 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9473

 IN SENATE

 March 16, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law and the agriculture
 and markets law, in relation to enacting the "lead-free game donation
 act"

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "lead-free game donation act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that:
 4 1. Lead is a potent neurotoxin; no level of exposure is considered
 5 safe for humans. Children and pregnant people are most at risk.
 6 2. Scientific studies and public health reviews have demonstrated that
 7 game taken with lead-based ammunition contains small, widely dispersed
 8 lead fragments.
 9 3. Recipients of charitable food donations, often the neediest New
 10 Yorkers, should not bear the risk of lead contamination in donated game.
 11 4. Chapter 358 of the laws of 2025 expanded lawful participation in
 12 archery seasons, including through the use of crossbows.
 13 5. Encouraging the continuing growth of the use of non-lead ammunition
 14 is consistent with existing department of environmental conservation
 15 outreach programs, and aligns with New York's broader wildlife and
 16 public health goals.
 17 § 3. Paragraph d of subdivision 9 of section 11-0917 of the environ-
 18 mental conservation law, as amended by chapter 468 of the laws of 2011,
 19 is amended to read as follows:
 20 d. Game legally taken may be donated to, and possessed, prepared and
 21 distributed by a charitable or not-for-profit organization which serves
 22 or distributes food without cost to the poor or needy. Game or packages
 23 of game donated pursuant to this paragraph shall, notwithstanding the
 24 requirements for tagging and labelling of game contained in paragraph b
 25 of subdivision [5] five of section 11-0911 of this title, be tagged,
 26 labelled or marked "not for sale" and such tag, label or marking shall
 27 identify the type of meat, the method used to take the game and the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14603-02-6

 S. 9473 2

 1 category of ammunition if so used, the license number of the taker, the
 2 name and address of the professional processor of the game and the date
 3 of processing. The department shall make available instructions for the
 4 safe and sanitary preparation of game, a list of professional processors
 5 where potential donors may take their game for preparation and packaging
 6 and a list of charitable or not-for-profit organizations which accept
 7 donations of game. Professional processors, charitable and not-for-pro-
 8 fit organizations may notify the department of their intention to
 9 participate in such distribution, and the department shall include them
 10 in its lists unless good cause otherwise exists.
 11 § 4. Section 11-0917 of the environmental conservation law is amended
 12 by adding a new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
 13 11. a. For purposes of this subdivision, "lead ammunition" shall mean
 14 any ammunition that contains one or more percent of lead by weight.
 15 b. Game taken by firearm using lead ammunition shall be ineligible for
 16 donation, distribution, or service for human consumption in New York
 17 state.
 18 c. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of health,
 19 may develop, update, and make public on the department's website, a list
 20 of ammunition that is recognized