New York State Snowmobile Political Action Committee: Your $.25 at Work!

The Importance of NYSSA Government Relations

The New York State Snowmobile Association has an assertive government relations program.
Portions of the program include:

• • educating the State Legislature and Administration on the magnitude snowmobiling has on the State Economy ($868 million annually);
  • supporting/opposing legislation that impacts our membership and organizations.
  • and providing public and written comments on the diverse actions of state agencies regulating where and how we can ride.

NYSSA has implemented this program at all levels of government to engage with elected and appointed officials for the benefit of snowmobiling and its related activities.

While NYSSA has a strong and effective grassroots organization powered by the collective voice of its 222 clubs and the 90,000 NY snowmobile families, there is no substitute for a professional “boots-on-the-ground” lobbying presence at the State Capitol to augment this effort.

Our Lobbyist

Park Strategies continues to be our go-to team for state lobbying in Albany, promoting the NYSSA agenda as developed by the Government Affairs Committee members of our Board of Directors. PS assists us in advancing our legislative agenda on the state level.

In 2016 we scored a tremendous legislative victory with the Legislature adopting language that will provide the Snowmobile Trail Development and Maintenance Fund an additional $5 from every registration. The Trail Fund realized more than a half a million dollar increase in revenue without any snowmobiler paying an additional dollar in 2017-18 and subsequent years.

During the 2017 legislative session we were able to press for legislation that increased the penalty for operating without a registration and to provide more money for local law enforcement (Chapter 341 of 2017)

The 2025-2026 Session

The State and Federal Legislative Session will present many challenges for NYSSA. On the state level, each legislator is elected in even number years and serves two years.  A legislative session lasts for two years and bills must be reintroduced at the end of that session.  The reintroduced bill will have new bill numbers.   You can track legislation by going to http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi?NVMUO. You can also look up NYS Laws on the same site.

Snowmobiling While Intoxicated
Increases the penalties for operating a snowmobile while intoxicated, double penalties for operators having .16 of one per centum or more by weight of alcohol in his or her blood, breath, urine, or saliva, and includes other operating while intoxicated convictions in sentencing considerations.

The purpose of this bill is to establish the crime of aggravated snowmobiling while intoxicated, to increase the penalties and fines for such crime, and to ensure that any conviction for operating a snowmobile, boat or motor vehicle while intoxicated shall be considered a prior conviction for the purposes of sentencing a person charged with snowmobiling while intoxicated. (A1479 Woerner No Same as)

Support for Landowners

Our snowmobile trail system is highly dependent on the generosity of landowners who willingly open their land for snowmobiling.  Over the years bills have been introduced which would provide certain benefits to these landowners but have never passed both Houses of the Legislature and subsequently been signed into law. The following legislation has been proposed.

Provides a tax credit to certain landowners who allow snowmobile access on such land.

This legislation would mitigate the current disincentive to landowners by offering certain property owners providing access to their land for recreational snowmobiling a small tax credit. Such an incentive would facilitate that valuable private property, needed for trails, would remain open and free to the public. By limiting the program to trails, which are eligible for funding under the Snowmobile Trail Fund, it will encourage the development of free trails that are readily accessible. The program would benefit both the public and the State, as millions of dollars would be pumped into local economies and the State would receive additional funds from the state sales tax. (S2634 GRIFFO Same as A2841 Santabarbara)

Vintage Sleds

NYSSA continues to pursue legislation that would make it easier for individuals to preserve these vestiges of riding in the “old days” and be able to occasionally take them out on the trail.  NYSSA has expressed support for a bill that will establish a $25 Vintage Snowmobile Registration for all club members.   The bill does include provisions for how the registration will be issued and requires a distinct numbering decal. A bill has passed both houses of the State Legislature and is awaiting the Govenor’s signature. (See News page for more).

Low Volume – Seasonal Roads
Permits the designation of low volume roads and minimum maintenance roads by town boards; enacts provisions relating to the maintenance, improvement, and repair of such roads.

This bill authorizes towns to designate certain town roads as low-volume roads and certain low-volume roads as minimum maintenance roads. The purpose of designating low-volume roads is to reduce costs associated with bringing such roads to state or national design standards. In addition to the fiscal relief that this bill affords, low volume, and particularly minimum maintenance roads, are a management tool that helps towns to maintain access to working landscapes such as forestlands, recreational areas, and agriculture with reasonable costs. (S1836 GRIFFO Same as A2225 Gunther)

Notes: NYSSA supports these efforts led by the Tug Hill Commission and the NYS Superintendents of Town Highways.

“Free Snowmobiling” Weekend

There is no doubt that we must do more to promote the sport if we are to continue to be a viable pastime in upstate. We must do more to promote the sport to new riders in New York State. Each season working with the Governor’s office and building on our Take a Friend Snowmobiling program, we established a weekend where riders whose sleds were properly registered and insured in their home state could come from out of state and ride our trails without securing a NYS registration.  We will keep working with the Governor’s office to establish the details of this “FREE” weekend earlier each season, so we can better promote it. We are confident that if snowmobile riders come from neighboring states and Canada, they will come back again to enjoy what we have in NYS.  Around 15% of our registrations come from nonresidents with Pennsylvania contributing the highest number.

Federal: Recreational Trails Program

The Recreational Trails Program is part of the Federal Highway bill and provides grants to our snowmobile clubs. Many of these grants have allowed our clubs to replace and upgrade grooming equipment which is very expensive.  NYSSA will be working with our federal representatives to ensure that the RTP stays part of the Federal Highway Bill and that the requirements of the program do not frustrate the program’s effectiveness.

Your $.25 donation to NYSSA PAC

Each year when you renew your membership, you are provided the opportunity to contribute $.25 to the NYSSA Political Action Committee. The NYSSAPAC is composed of current and past directors of NYSSA as well as the Executive Director.

Your continued support is needed for the NYS Snowmobile PAC. The PAC is the mechanism by which snowmobile clubs and their members can pool their resources so they can have a larger and more concentrated voice in the political process. PAC contributions are made directly to candidates for state elective office who have a history of supporting our issues and provides opportunities for NYSSA to personally meet with our representatives.

Our presence in Albany has reached new heights over the years and we should be proud of our many accomplishments. Such success comes from having many advocates among the state’s leaders who deserve our support.

The PAC complies with all NYS election law requirements for filing reports. Over 85% of NYSSA members contribute to the PAC, and although the $.25 is hardly noticed by individual members, it adds up to a significant amount, which allows the PAC to project support to key public officials. We thank everyone who contributes to the PAC and ask if you have not in the past, you will consider contributing in the future.

The importance of a viable and effective Political Action Committee cannot be overstated. Please send your donation to the NYS Snowmobile PAC today and help us to achieve our goal.