Pennsylvania SB 67: An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for organization of commission; in game or wildlife protection, further providing for regulations, for report to commission officer, for surrender of carcass to commission officer and for unlawful activities; and, in hunting and furtaking, repealing provisions relating to hunting on Sunday prohibited, further providing for unlawful devices and methods and for the offense of trespass on private property while hunting and repealing provisions relating to hunting on Sunday without written permission.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 312 PRINTER'S NO. 982
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 67
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, STREET AND MALONE, MARCH 3, 2025
SENATOR ROTHMAN, GAME AND FISHERIES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 24, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing
for organization of commission; in game or wildlife
protection, further providing for regulations, for report to
commission officer, for surrender of carcass to commission
officer and for unlawful activities; and, in hunting and
furtaking, repealing provisions relating to hunting on Sunday
prohibited, further providing for unlawful devices and
methods and for the offense of trespass on private property
while hunting and repealing provisions relating to hunting on
Sunday without written permission.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 301(a) of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
adding subsections to read:
§ 301. Organization of commission.
(a) Composition.--[The] Subject to subsection (b.1), the
independent administrative commission known as the Pennsylvania
Game Commission shall consist of nine competent citizens of this
Commonwealth who shall be well informed on the subject of
wildlife conservation and restoration and who shall be appointed
by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of a
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majority of the elected members of the Senate.
* * *
(b.1) Additional consideration.--The Governor shall ensure
that at least one member of the commission represents the
interest of agricultural commodities that pertain to normal
agricultural operations and wildlife.
* * *
(e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agricultural commodity." As defined in section 2 of the act
of June 10, 1982 (P.L.454, No.133), referred to as the Right-to-
Farm Law.
"Normal agricultural operation." As defined in section 2 of
the Right-to-Farm Law.
Section 2. Sections 2102(b)(2), 2122 and 2125 of Title 34
are amended to read:
§ 2102. Regulations.
* * *
(b) Seasons, possession, bag limits and devices.--
* * *
(2) If in any year the commission fails to establish
seasons or bag limits or fails to establish other hunting or
furtaking regulations under authority of this title, the open
seasons and bag limits for game or furbearers[, Sundays
excepted], unless otherwise provided by this title, and all
other hunting or furtaking regulations adopted under
authority of this title, shall be the same as set by
regulation of the commission for the previous license year,
and all seasons shall open and close one calendar day earlier
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than the previous license year. In the event the commission
fails to establish seasons and bag limits for a license year
beginning in a leap year, the seasons shall open and close
two calendar days earlier than the previous license year.
* * *
§ 2122. Report to commission officer.
Any person who kills any game or wildlife, other than
raccoons, under the provisions of this subchapter shall, within
24 hours, report, orally or in writing, the killing to an
officer of the commission. The report shall set forth the date,
time and place of the killing, the number of species killed
[and], the sex of the species[.] and the location of each
carcass. The commission shall establish a self-reporting system
that allows a person assigned to remove deer for crop damage
purposes to report each harvest to an officer of the commission
via a toll-free telephone number, online application or publicly
accessible Internet website.
§ 2125. Surrender of carcass [to commission officer].
Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, the entire
carcass, including the head and hide[,] of all big game animals
and the entire carcass of any other game or wildlife, other than
raccoons, less entrails, shall be made available, unless
otherwise directed by an officer of the commission, intact[,
less entrails,] to any commission officer calling for them[.] or
delivered to a processor for final disposition. As used in this
section, the term "processor" means a location specified by the
commission that is willing to accept donations of animals taken
under this chapter.
Section 3. Section 2126(a) heading of Title 34 is amended
and subsections (a) and (b) are amended by adding paragraphs to
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read:
§ 2126. Unlawful activities.
(a) [General rule] Violations.--It is unlawful for any
person while acting under the provisions of this subchapter to:
* * *
(8.1) Fail to obtain written per