BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sen. Tim Kennedy’s office says a bill seeking to ban wildlife killing contests has passed in both the New York State Senate and Assembly.

The Senate was the first to pass the bill, an amendment to New York’s environmental conservation law, on June 7, later succeeding in the Assembly on June 21.

The summary of Senate Bill S4099 says it “provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote, or participate in any contest, competition, tournament or derby where the objective of such contest or competition is to take wildlife.”

There are exceptions though — turkey, bear, white-tailed deer and fishing contests will still be permitted.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, New York could become the ninth state to pass a law like this if Governor Hochul signs the bill. They listed California, Vermont, New Mexico, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington and Maryland as the others who have banned wildlife killing contests.

“In 2018 and 2020, the Humane Society of the United States released undercover investigations that exposed wildlife killing contests in New York, documenting participants hauling in bloody piles of dead foxes and coyotes to be weighed and counted for prizes,” The Humane Society said.