New York legislation · 2025-2026 General Assembly
New York A8515: Enacts the whale awareness act
Status: Signed into law, August 7, 2026
Enacts the whale awareness act directing the department of environmental conservation to establish recommendations and educational materials for reduction of marine mammal interactions.
What the bill says
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, the navigation law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the whale awareness act.
From the amended text, February 5, 2026:
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, the navigation law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the whale awareness act THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "whale awareness act". § 2. Article 13 of the environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new title 9 to read as follows: TITLE 9 WHALE AWARENESS ACT SECTION 13-0901. MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTION RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. § 13-0901. MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTION RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR THE REDUCTION OF MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTIONS WITH VESSELS. IN DEVELOPING SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONSULT WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD, THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, THE MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT AGENCIES. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTION" MEANS ANY ACT OF PURSUIT, TORMENT, OR ANNOYANCE OF A MARINE MAMMAL IN THE WILD THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INJURE OR DISTURB SUCH MAMMAL BY CAUSING DISRUPTION EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to …
Sponsors
- Rebecca Kassay (D, 4) · primary sponsor
- Sam Berger (D, 27)
- Thomas Schiavoni (D, 1)
- Linda Rosenthal (D, 67)
- Tony Simone (D, 75)
- Christopher Burdick (D, 93)
- Jennifer Lunsford (D, 135)
- Dana Levenberg (D, 95)
- Khaleel Anderson (D, 31)
- Brian Cunningham (D, 43)
- Jonathan Jacobson (D, 104)
- Donna Lupardo (D, 123)
Latest actions
- : SIGNED CHAP.208
- : DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
- : RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
- : PASSED SENATE
- : 3RD READING CAL.376
- : SUBSTITUTED FOR S2292B
- : REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
- : DELIVERED TO SENATE
- : PASSED ASSEMBLY
- : ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.259
Votes
- Senate Floor Vote (March 5, 2026): 59 yea, 0 nay, passed
- FLOOR Vote (March 5, 2026): 59 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Assembly Floor Vote - Final Passage (February 24, 2026): 132 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee: Favorable (February 10, 2026): 29 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Environmental Conservation Law
Common questions
- What is A8515?
- A8515 is a bill in the New York Legislature (2025-2026 General Assembly): Enacts the whale awareness act.
- What does A8515 do?
- In its own words: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, the navigation law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the whale awareness act.
- What is the status of A8515?
- Signed into law as of August 7, 2026. Latest action: SIGNED CHAP.208 (August 7, 2026).
- Who sponsored A8515?
- Rebecca Kassay (D, 4), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for A8515?
- On the New York Legislature website: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8515
Source: official New York record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.