An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in game or wildlife protection, further providing for regulations and for unlawful activities; and, in hunting and furtaking, repealing provision, the official text

SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1667, 1896
PRINTER'S NO.  1998
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1431
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY STEELE, FIEDLER, WAXMAN, VENKAT, GUENST, PROBST,
STAATS, HADDOCK, KHAN AND SALISBURY, MAY 8, 2025
SENATOR ROTHMAN, GAME AND FISHERIES, IN SENATE, 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.
AMENDING TITLE 34 (GAME) OF THE PENNSYLVANIA CONSOLIDATED
STATUTES, IN GAME OR WILDLIFE PROTECTION, FURTHER PROVIDING
FOR REGULATIONS 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 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
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:
SECTION 1.  SECTION 2102(B)(2) OF TITLE 34 OF THE
PENNSYLVANIA CONSOLIDATED STATUTES IS 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
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 2.  Section 2126(a) heading of Title 34 is amended
and subsections (a) and (b) are amended by adding paragraphs to
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 permission to hunt on a
Sunday.
* * *
(b)  Penalties.--
* * *
(4)  A violation of this subchapter pertaining to written
permission is a summary offense of the third degree.
Section 4 3.  Section 2303 of Title 34 is repealed:
[§ 2303.  Hunting on Sunday prohibited.
(a)  General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this
title, it is unlawful for any person to hunt for any furbearer
or game on Sunday.
(b)  Construction of section.--This section shall not be
construed to prohibit:
(1)  The training of dogs.
(2)  The participation in dog trials as provided for in
this title.
(3)  The removal of lawfully taken game or wildlife from
traps or the resetting of the traps on Sunday.
(b.1)  Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to:
(1)  The hunting of foxes.
(2)  The hunting of coyotes.
(3)  Any hunting which occurs on noncommercial regulated
hunting grounds holding a valid permit under section 2928(b)
(2) (relating to regulated hunting grounds permits).
(4)  Hunting on three Sundays each calendar year, as
follows:
(i)  One day of Sunday hunting shall be instituted by
the commission during the deer rifle season.
(ii)  One day of Sunday hunting shall be instituted
by the commission during the Statewide deer archery
season.
(iii)  One day of Sunday hunting as determined by the
commission shall be instituted by the commission.
Authority to hunt on any Sunday instituted by the commission
under this paragraph shall not apply to any person required
to secure a hunting license who attempts to hunt on private
land without obtaining written permission of the landowner,
an agent of the landowner or lessee.
(c)  Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary
offense of the fifth degree.]
Section 5 4.  Section 2308(b) of Title 34 is amended by
adding a paragraph to read:
§ 2308.  Unlawful devices and methods.
* * *
(b)  Exceptions.--The provisions of subsection (a) shall not
apply to:
* * *
(7)  Natural deer urine for the purposes of taking,
attempting to take, attracting or scouting wildlife   .     that
meets all of the following criteria:
(i)  Has no detectable levels of chronic wasting
disease prions.
(ii)  Is labeled as being tested using real-time
quaking-induced conversion assay or another commercially
available testing method that detects the presence of
chronic wasting disease prions   . For the purposes of this
subparagraph, the    Department of Agriculture may randomly
select natural deer urine products for testing on a
biannual basis. The Department of Agriculture shall pay
for the costs incurred for testing under this
subparagraph.
* * *
Section 6 5.  Section 2314(a) and (c) of Title 34 are amended
and the section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 2314.  Trespass on private property while hunting.
(a)  [General rule] Trespass.--A person, while engaged in
hunting or furtaking, commits an offense if, knowing that the
person is not licensed or privileged to do so, the person:
(1)  enters or remains on any land of another without
authorization to do so, when the land is posted in a manner
prescribed by law or reasonably likely to come to the
person's attention [or is fenced or enclosed in a manner
manifestly designed to exclude trespassers; or];
(2)  enters or remains on any land of another without
authorization and defies an order not to enter or to leave
that has been personally communicated to the person by the
owner of the land or other authorized person[.];
(3)  enters or remains on any land of another without
authorization to do so, when the land is fenced or enclosed
in a manner manifestly designed to exclude trespassers; or
(4)     subject to subsection (b), enters or remains on any
land of another without authorization to do so when notice
against trespass is given by the placement of identifying
purple paint marks on trees or posts on the property, in
accordance with 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503(b)(1)(vi) (relating to
criminal trespass).
* * *
(c)  Penalty.--An offense under this section shall be graded
as follows:
(1)  A person who violates subsection (a)(1), (3) or (4)
commits a summary offense of the [third degree.] second
degree and    may result in forfeiture of the privilege to hunt
or take game or wildlife anywhere within this Commonwealth
for a period of up to one year   .
(2)  A person who violates subsection (a)(2) commits a
misdemeanor[.] and shall result in forfeiture of the
privilege to hunt or take game or wildlife anywhere within
this Commonwealth for a period of three years   .
(3)  A person who commits a second or subsequent
violation of this section within a seven-year period commits
a misdemeanor, and the second or subsequent violation shall
result in forfeiture of the privilege to hunt or take game or
wildlife anywhere within this Commonwealth for a period of
[one year] five years.
(c.1)  Restoration.--Upon the dismissal or dropping of
charges under this section against a person, or upon a finding
that a person is not guilty of a violation of this section, the
person's privilege to hunt or take game or wildlife within this
Commonwealth shall immediately be restored.
* * *
Section 7 6.  Section 2315 of Title 34 is repealed:
[§ 2315.  Hunting on Sunday without written permission.
(a)  General rule.--A person required to secure a hunting
license to hunt commits an offense if, while engaged in hunting
on Sunday under section 2303(b.1)(4) (relating to hunting on
Sunday prohibited), the person enters private land without
obtaining written permission of the landowner, an agent of the
landowner or lessee.
(b)  Penalty.--A person who violates subsection (a) commits a
summary offense of the third degree.]
Section 8 7.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.