Pennsylvania HB 1917: An Act amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for indigenous Americans fishing licenses; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2400
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1917
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BRIGGS, GUZMAN, FREEMAN, HILL-EVANS, BURGOS,
PIELLI, KHAN, SANCHEZ, HOWARD, SHUSTERMAN AND GREEN,
OCTOBER 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, OCTOBER 6, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for
indigenous Americans fishing licenses; and, in hunting and
furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license
and fee exemptions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 30 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 2707.3. Indigenous Americans fishing licenses.
(a) Acknowledgment.--The General Assembly acknowledges that:
(1) The Commonwealth is unceded territory to the
federally recognized Lenape, Shawnee and Seneca-Cayuga
nations.
(2) Hunting and fishing rights were never ceded by
native nations to the Commonwealth.
(3) The citizens of the federally recognized Lenape
tribes, Shawnee, Seneca-Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and
Tuscarora nations should be granted the right to hunt and
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fish freely in this Commonwealth.
(b) Issuing of licenses.--Indigenous American fishing
licenses shall be issued by the commission, county treasurer or
issuing agent to an individual who is a formally recognized
member of a federally recognized indigenous tribe. Before the
issuance of a license under this chapter, an individual must
provide at least one of the following forms of documentation in
addition to a valid photo identification card:
(1) A certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native
Blood.
(2) A written statement from an official of the
federally recognized indigenous tribe from which the
individual or the individual's ancestors originated.
(3) Genealogical documentation showing that the
individual:
(i) lineally descends from an ancestor who was a
member of a federally recognized indigenous tribe from
which the individual claims descent; or
(ii) was legally adopted or married into the
federally recognized indigenous tribe from which the
individual claims descent.
(c) Fee.--The commission, county treasurer or issuing agent
may not charge a fee for a license after presentation of the
required documentation under this section.
(d) Definition.--As used in this section, the term
"federally recognized indigenous tribe" means an American Indian
or Alaska Native tribal entity that is recognized as having a
government-to-government relationship with the United States,
with the responsibilities, powers, limitations and obligations
attached to that designation.
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Section 2. Section 2706 of Title 34 is amended by adding a
subsection to read:
§ 2706. Resident license and fee exemptions.
* * *
(i) Indigenous Americans hunting licenses.--
(1) The General Assembly acknowledges that:
(i) The Commonwealth is unceded territory to the
federally recognized Lenape, Shawnee and Seneca-Cayuga
nations.
(ii) Hunting and fishing rights were never ceded by
native nations to the Commonwealth.
(iii) The citizens of the federally recognized
Lenape tribes, Shawnee, Seneca-Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida,
Mohawk and Tuscarora nations should be granted the right
to hunt and fish freely in this Commonwealth.
(2) Indigenous American hunting licenses shall be issued
by the commission, county treasurer or issuing agent to an
individual who is a formally recognized member of a federally
recognized indigenous tribe. Before the issuance of a license
under this subsection, an individual must provide at least
one of the following forms of documentation in addition to a
valid photo identification card:
(i) a certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska
Native Blood;
(ii) a written statement from an official of the
federally recognized indigenous tribe from which the
individual or the individual's ancestors originated; or
(iii) genealogical documentation showing that the
individual:
(A) lineally descends from an ancestor who was a
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member of the federally recognized indigenous tribe
from which the individual claims descent; or
(B) was legally adopted or married into the
federally recognized indigenous tribe from which the
individual claims descent.
(3) The commission, county treasurer or issuing agent
may not charge a fee for this license after presentation of
the required documentation under this subsection.
(4) As used in this subsection, the term "federally
recognized indigenous tribe" means an American Indian or
Alaska Native tribal entity that is recognized as having a
government-to-government relationship with the United States,
with the responsibilities, powers, limitations and
obligations attached to