The Council’s April meeting is devoted to reviewing bills or legislative proposals before the New York State Legislature that involve or impact marine resources. As of the date of this bulletin, the following are the bills that are scheduled to be discussed by the Council on 16 April 2002. Most of these bills have been resubmitted from the previous legislative session and the Council has already adopted positions on many of them.

DEC Program Bill #8-2002	(squid & whelk regulatory authority & resident lobster landing permit)
DEC Program Bill #13-2002	(conserve habitat license plates)
A299	(prohibits the release of certain balloons)
A433	(prohibits fishery mgmt.plans involving transfer of licenses)
A777	(creates state seafood policy advisory council)
A944B/S5825B	(NY marine/coastal district license plate program)
A2668	(establishes marine life protection task force)
A3060	(limits harvesting of marine finfish to foodfish license holders)
A3393/S2019	(gives towns exclusive rights to regulate shellfish harvests)
A4817	(increases penalties for illegal taking of fish/shellfish)
A4904	(bans taking of striped bass from Hudson River for comm. purposes)
A6082	(expands Long Island Sound Habitat Protection Zone)
A6501/S3263	(transferability of commercial lobster licenses)
A6905A	(increases penalties for illegal taking of fish/shellfish)
A9078	(lobster/crab gear marking requirements)
A9589A	(prohibits traffic in fish with > 1 ppm PCB)
A9960/S1460	(prohibits disposal of spoils w/toxic materials)
A10024/S6646	(owners of charter/party boats not liable for actions of persons)
A10141	(bans taking of striped bass from Hudson River for comm. purposes)
S5298	(grants DEC regulatory authority over taking of lobsters)
S5392	(bans taking of striped bass from Hudson River for comm. purposes)

Check the Council’s web page, http://www.msrc.sunysb.edu/MRAC/, for additional bills or agenda items added after this bulletin is distributed. Full information on these bills can be secured from the web pages of the New York State Senate (http://www.senate.state.ny.us) and the New York State Assembly (www.assembly.state.ny.us). For further information about the Marine Resources Advisory Council or items covered in this bulletin, to make arrangements for addressing the Council on an agenda item or submitting written comments on an agenda item, or to suggest an agenda item, contact: William M. Wise, Chairman, Marine Resources Advisory Council; phone 631/632-8656; FAX 631/632-9441; wwise@notes.cc.sunysb.edu.