HB508 would create a new Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program administered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and a dedicated Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund in the State Treasury. The program is designed to provide grants to nonprofit wildlife rehabilitators permitted under existing Pennsylvania regulations for the care, treatment, restoration, and release of injured, sick, orphaned, diseased, or displaced wildlife. Grants could be used for direct rehabilitation work, facility improvements, or related purposes approved by the commission.
The bill sets out a detailed application and award process. Rehabilitators would apply in writing and provide information such as contact details, requested amount, and prior-year wildlife intake. The commission would have 60 days to approve or deny applications, may request additional information, and would award grant amounts on a sliding scale tied to wildlife intake, ranging from $2,500 to $75,000. Awards would be made first-come, first-served until the fund is exhausted, with only one grant per office location per calendar year. Recipients must later report how the money was used and the rehabilitation work it supported.
HB508 would also require annual reporting by the Game Commission to the Governor and legislative leaders, including the number of applications, grants awarded and denied, total dollars distributed, remaining fund balance, and recommendations for improvement. The fund would be nonlapsing, could receive state appropriations as well as federal money, donations, gifts, and other outside funding, and any unused money at year-end would revert to the Game Fund. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
The bill appears to be generally supportive of wildlife rehabilitation organizations and the state agency that oversees them, with no recorded committee transcript or vote history indicating opposition or amendment debate. Because the measure creates a new grant program and continuing appropriation, likely points of policy interest include funding availability, how grant amounts are allocated, and the Game Commission’s administrative discretion in reviewing applications and setting procedures. Any contention would likely center on fiscal impact, prioritization of limited grant dollars, and whether the intake-based formula fairly distributes aid among rehabilitators of different sizes.
HB508 would amend Pennsylvania law by creating a new statutory grant program and fund specifically for nonprofit wildlife rehabilitators, while assigning the Pennsylvania Game Commission new administrative, reporting, and rulemaking duties. It would not change the underlying definition of wildlife rehabilitation, but it would add a state funding mechanism and a structured process for awarding, tracking, and reporting grants to eligible rehabilitators and their facilities.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes, the overall sentiment appears favorable and practical, aimed at supporting wildlife care providers with dedicated public funding. The measure is framed as a service and conservation support bill rather than a controversial regulatory change, and its detailed reporting requirements suggest an emphasis on accountability and transparency. No explicit opposition is reflected in the available materials.
No formal contention is documented in the provided transcripts or voting history, but the likely areas of concern are fiscal and administrative. Potential points of debate include whether the General Assembly should create a continuing appropriation for the fund, whether first-come, first-served distribution is the best method, how the intake-based grant tiers affect smaller versus larger rehabilitators, and how much discretion the Game Commission should have in approving applications and defining eligible related uses. Funding sources and the possibility of using federal money, donations, and other outside payments may also draw interest from lawmakers focused on budget impact.