In hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for license requirements; and, in special licenses and permits, further providing for regulated hunting grounds permits.
HB2137 amends Pennsylvania’s Game Code to create a new “Military Event License Exemption” and related permit process for certain hunting-related events. The exemption would apply to eligible individuals who are either veterans with a service-connected disability of 30% or more or active duty/reserve/veteran service members who have received the Purple Heart. One additional helper may accompany each eligible participant if needed. The Pennsylvania Game Commission would be authorized to issue a permit for a qualifying event whose primary purpose is rehabilitation or enjoyment of eligible individuals, with events limited to seven consecutive days and capped at 10 eligible participants.
The bill sets out administrative requirements for the permit, including an application deadline at least 14 days before the event, documentation requirements, a fee tied to the applicable license cost, and a requirement that events occur on private land with the landowner’s express approval. Participants must still follow all seasons, bag limits, and reporting rules, and the commission may deny permits that would unduly burden its resources or create significant costs. The commission would also be required to adopt guidelines for implementation and issuance of the exemptions and permits.
HB2137 also changes the rules for regulated hunting grounds permits by allowing permittees to move killed birds off the premises without the usual tagging requirement, so long as the package or container bears a label with the permittee’s name, address, permit number, number and type of birds, and the date killed. That label must remain attached until the birds are returned to the permittee’s address or prepared for consumption. The bill would take effect 60 days after enactment.
The bill’s impact on state law is to create a new, limited exemption from hunting license and permit fees for a defined group of military-connected participants and to add a more flexible handling rule for birds taken under regulated hunting grounds permits. It would affect the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s licensing and permitting authority, as well as hunters, event hosts, and private landowners who wish to host qualifying military rehabilitation or recreational events.
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history provided, so no formal floor or committee sentiment can be assessed from the materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears supportive of veterans and service members, especially those with disabilities or Purple Heart recognition, while also preserving wildlife-management controls. Potential points of contention are the administrative burden on the Game Commission, the resource/cost limitation on permit issuance, and whether the new exemption and handling exception could complicate enforcement or create precedent for additional special carve-outs.
HB2137 would amend Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new military-related exemption to hunting license and permit fee requirements and by modifying regulated hunting grounds permit rules for transporting killed birds. It would expand the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s duties to include issuing exemptions, reviewing event permits, and promulgating implementation guidelines, while preserving existing seasons, bag limits, reporting standards, and enforcement authority. The bill would primarily affect disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, event hosts, private landowners, and the Game Commission.
No committee discussion or vote record was provided, so there is no documented legislative sentiment to summarize from the available history. The bill’s structure suggests generally favorable treatment toward veterans and service members, with safeguards intended to limit administrative and wildlife-management impacts. Overall, the measure appears sympathetic and targeted rather than controversial on its face, though the lack of recorded debate means support or opposition cannot be confirmed from the materials.
The main likely points of contention are operational rather than ideological. The Game Commission may be concerned about the added administrative workload, the 14-day application timeline, the need to verify eligibility and issue event-specific permits, and the bill’s restriction that permits cannot unduly impact commission resources or impose significant costs. Wildlife or enforcement stakeholders could also question the new exception to tagging requirements for birds removed from regulated hunting grounds, while supporters would likely emphasize the bill’s benefits for disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, and rehabilitation-focused hunting events.