S 2292 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Enacts the whale awareness act

Summary

Enacts the whale awareness act directing the department of environmental conservation to establish recommendations and educational materials for reduction of marine mammal interactions.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Jan 2026

Senate Passage

May 2025

Assembly Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Last action Mar 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

S2292A → S2292B · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to include two additional sponsors and reorganized the text to clarify the definition of marine mammal harassment. The primary substantive change is the addition of a new requirement for the Department of Environmental Conservation to post educational materials on its website and distribute them to specific groups, such as party boat operators and boating safety course participants, before distributing them to general vessel registrants.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new distribution requirements for educational materials to specific boating groups and a new definition for marine mammal interactions.

ELIGIBILITY

Added two new sponsors to the bill: Sen. Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Sen. Palumbo.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of 'marine mammal interaction' to explicitly include acts of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that disrupt behaviors like migration, breeding, and feeding.

REQUIREMENT

Required the Department of Environmental Conservation to post educational materials on its website and distribute them to party boat operators and boating safety course participants.

Replaced the previous requirement to consult with the Department of Transportation with a requirement to consult with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

TIMELINE

Set a specific effective date of December 31, 2028, for the requirement to distribute materials to general vessel registrants.

Floor votes · Senate May 21, 2025

How they voted

58–1

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 62

May 21, 2025

D Democratic40

38 Yea 2

95% Yea

R Republican22

20 Yea 1 Nay 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 2292B

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

upper

Jan 7, 2026

Committee

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

upper

May 22, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

lower

May 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED SENATE

upper

Apr 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 2292A

upper

Apr 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

upper

1 primary · 10 co-sponsors