An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions.
Summary
HB319 amends Pennsylvania’s Game Code provisions on resident license and fee exemptions, specifically the rules for resident military personnel hunting licenses. Under current law, resident military personnel must be Pennsylvania residents, on active and full-time duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, assigned to a facility outside the Commonwealth, and on temporary leave in Pennsylvania to qualify for the license. The bill removes the last two requirements, so eligible resident service members would no longer need to be stationed outside Pennsylvania or be temporarily on leave in the state to receive the resident military hunting license.
The practical effect is to broaden access to discounted or exempt hunting licenses for Pennsylvania residents serving on active duty, regardless of where they are stationed or whether they are currently on leave. The bill would amend Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and take effect 60 days after enactment, changing how the Pennsylvania Game Commission, county treasurers, and issuing agents determine eligibility for this license category.
Impact
HB319 would revise Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by loosening the eligibility criteria for resident military personnel hunting licenses. It would remove the requirements that a service member be assigned outside Pennsylvania and be on temporary leave in the Commonwealth, thereby expanding the class of resident active-duty military personnel who may obtain the license. The change affects the Pennsylvania Game Commission and license-issuing officials, as well as resident members of the armed forces who hunt in Pennsylvania.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a straightforward, low-conflict measure intended to benefit resident active-duty military personnel. The sponsor list suggests bipartisan interest, and the proposal is framed as a narrow administrative change rather than a broader policy shift. No opposing arguments or recorded dissent are available in the provided context.
Contention
No committee transcript or voting record was provided, so no explicit points of contention are documented. The only likely policy question is whether the state should continue limiting the resident military hunting license to service members stationed outside Pennsylvania and on temporary leave, or instead extend the benefit to all eligible resident active-duty personnel. Any disagreement would likely center on the scope of the exemption and its effect on license eligibility rather than on the underlying hunting regulations.
In fishing licenses, providing for law enforcement; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions and for license costs and fees.
In fishing licenses, providing for indigenous Americans fishing licenses; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions.
In fishing licenses, providing for active duty military fishing reciprocity and for disabled veteran annual fishing license reciprocity; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, providing for active duty military hunting reciprocity and for disabled veteran annual hunting license reciprocity.