Pennsylvania HB 1353: An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for Game Commission officers and employees; and, in enforcement, further providing for powers and duties of enforcement officers.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1541
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1353
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SCIALABBA, JAMES, LEADBETER, HAMM, ROAE, KAUFFMAN,
SMITH, COOK, ROWE AND GILLEN, APRIL 30, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, APRIL 30, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing
for Game Commission officers and employees; and, in
enforcement, further providing for powers and duties of
enforcement officers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 303(c) of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 303. Game Commission officers and employees.
* * *
(c) Power and authority.--[Every officer, employee or
representative] Except as provided in section 901(a.1) (relating
to powers and duties of enforcement officers), every officer of
the commission in the exercise of their powers and duties shall
have the right and authority to go upon or enter any property[,
posted or otherwise,] outside of buildings.
Section 2. Section 901(a)(2) and (8) of Title 34 are amended
and the section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
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§ 901. Powers and duties of enforcement officers.
(a) Powers.--Any officer whose duty it is to enforce this
title or any officer investigating any alleged violation of this
title shall have the power and duty to:
* * *
(2) [Go] Except as provided in subsection (a.1), go upon
any land or water outside of buildings, except curtilage,
[posted or otherwise,] in the performance of the officer's
duty.
* * *
[(8) Conduct administrative inspections of persons,
licenses and permits, firearms, ammunition and other
implements of taking, game bags, game, meat poles, tags,
clothing, waterfowl blinds, decoys, tree stands, immediate
hunting locations, or any means of transportation or its
attachments used as blinds or as hunting locations, and any
coolers or containers possessed at a hunting location when
prima facie evidence of hunting exists. Any officer
conducting an administrative inspection shall, if any person
is present, present a badge or other means of official
identification and state the purpose of the inspection.]
* * *
(a.1) Prohibition.--An officer may not go upon any land as
to which notice against trespass is given by any of the
following:
(1) A ctual communication to the officer by the
landowner.
(2) Posting in a manner prescribed by law or reasonably
likely to come to the attention of intruders.
(3) Fencing or other enclosure manifestly designed to
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exclude intruders.
(4) The placement of identifying purple paint marks on
trees or posts on the property line that are:
(i) vertical lines of not less than eight inches in
length and not less than one inch in width;
(ii) p laced so that the bottom of the mark is not
less than three feet from the ground and not more than
five feet from the ground; and
(iii) placed at locations that are readily visible
to a person approaching the property and not more than
100 feet apart.
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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