Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB1244

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/23/26
• Refer: 3/23/26

Caption

In game or wildlife protection, further providing for regulations.

Summary

SB1244 amends Pennsylvania’s Game Code to set a specific start date for the regular antlered deer hunting season. Under the bill, that season would open on the first Monday following Thanksgiving, replacing any existing regulatory discretion or variable scheduling for that season’s opening date. The measure is narrow in scope and applies only to the regular antlered deer hunting season. The bill would directly change Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new subsection to the regulations section governing game and wildlife protection. It would require the Pennsylvania Game Commission to align its deer season regulations with the statutory opening date, and the act would take effect 60 days after enactment. Hunters, landowners, wildlife managers, and related outdoor recreation interests would be the primary affected parties.

Impact

SB1244 would constrain the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s regulatory authority by codifying the opening date for the regular antlered deer hunting season in statute. This would reduce flexibility in setting season dates through regulation and make the post-Thanksgiving Monday opening a legal requirement under Title 34. The bill affects deer hunters and wildlife management practices, and it could also influence related economic and recreational activity tied to the deer season.

Sentiment

Based on the available information, the bill appears to be a straightforward, technical wildlife-management measure with no recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. The sponsors suggest support for a fixed, predictable deer season start date, and there is no evidence in the record of organized opposition or controversy. Overall sentiment cannot be measured from transcripts, but the bill’s presentation indicates a generally practical and likely favorable reception among its sponsors.

Contention

No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there are no documented points of contention in the record. Potential areas of disagreement, if any, would likely center on whether the deer season opening should be set by statute rather than left to the Game Commission’s regulatory process, and whether the first Monday after Thanksgiving is the best date for hunters, conservation goals, and wildlife management. However, no specific opponents or arguments are identified in the available materials.