SO... WHAT DOES PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL 1202 ACTUALLY SAY?

SO... WHAT DOES PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL 1202 ACTUALLY SAY?

PRINTER'S NO.  1846

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, BREWSTER AND STREET, JUNE 11, 2018

REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, JUNE 11, 2018

 

AN ACT

Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for hunting on Sunday prohibited, providing for hunting on Sunday, and further providing for trespass on private property while hunting.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2303 of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:

§ 2303.  Hunting on Sunday prohibited.

(d)  Expiration.--This section shall expire upon the publication of the regulation under section 2303.1(b) (relating to hunting on Sunday).

Section 2.  Title 34 is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 2303.1.  Hunting on Sunday.

(a)  General rule.--The commission may institute Sunday hunting by regulation promulgated in accordance with section 2102 (relating to regulations).

(b)  Applicability.--It shall be lawful for a person to hunt for any furbearer or game on Sunday on and after the publication of the final regulation under subsection (a).

Section 3.  Section 2314 of Title 34 is amended to read:

§ 2314.  Trespass on private property while hunting.

[(a)  General rule.--Any person who while violating any provision of this title or any regulations promulgated under this title and who in addition is found to be trespassing as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503 (relating to criminal trespass) shall be in violation of this section.

(b)  Penalty.--A violation of this section:

(1)  A violation of this section is a summary offense of the fifth degree.

(2)  A second or subsequent violation of this section within a seven-year period is a summary offense of the fifth degree and may result in forfeiture of the privilege to hunt or take game or wildlife anywhere within this Commonwealth for a period of one year.]

(a)  General rule.--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.

(b)  Penalty.--An offense under this section shall be graded as follows:

(1)  A person who violates subsection (a)(1) commits a summary offense of the third degree.

(2)  A person who violates subsection (a)(2) commits a misdemeanor.

(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.

Section 4.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

Read: Senate Bill 1202

SUPPORT SB 1202 - LETTER TO PA LEGISLATORS

      

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting
huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com
717-648-1835 / 717-350-6741

Letter to: Legislators of Pennsylvania; State Representatives and State Senators.

This letter is to urge you to support the removal of the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law and allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide what is best for Sunday hunting.  We ask that you recognize and understand that the Pa Game Commission are the subject matter experts for the management and conservation of Pa’s wildlife.  Case in point; Pa. Game Commission recognized as the best wildlife management agency in the country by the Quality Deer Management Association. https://www.qdma.com/pennsylvania-game-commission-named-qdmas-agency-year/

We encourage you to support Senate Bill 1202 presented by Senator Dan Laughlin.  The bill strengthens PA Title 34 Game Law and leaves all hunting management decisions to Pa. Game Commission. It addresses the offense of trespass while hunting, making the violation a primary offense with increased penalties.  Enforceable by both game wardens and other law enforcement.

Streamlining of the law puts full management and conservation in the hands of the experts - Pa. Game Commission. The transfer of full regulatory control to Pa. Game Commission is the best solution for game management in Pa.

Studies have shown and sportsmen have stated the lack of time, work, and family obligations are among the most frequent reasons limiting their hunting opportunities. Hence why recent polls from various sources indicate on average 70% overall support for removing the barrier to Sunday hunting. The Pa. Farm Bureau presented a statewide map during Pa. Game Commission public meeting April 23, 2018, that shows 64% approval for a law change.  Coupled with all 18 Pa.voting districts with 85% approval and support for legal hunting; it leaves us as proponents scratching our heads and wondering what is the problem? Begs the question, why does the Pa. legislature as a whole not see that Pa.sportsman have spoken and are asking for a change.

Do you as legislators not want Pa. Game Commission to have all the tools it needs to serve the interest of sportsmen?  Are you just ignoring the 70% of sportsman asking for the right thing - the removal of the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law and allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide what is best for Sunday hunting?

   

Whatever the reason, understand this, the fight to remove the barrier to Sunday hunting is much different this time.  Numerous organizations have joined in the effort.  We all bring a different skill set to this fight.  But make no mistake, the one thing each and every one of us have in common is the resolve to affect legislative change for the betterment of our hunting heritage here in Pa.

Every conservation organization involved in this effort understands the importance of wildlife management and recognizes the agency best to do that is Pa. Game Commission, not you as lawmakers.  Senator Dan Laughlin understands this better than any legislator.  That is why Hunters United for Sunday Hunting supports SB 1202 and advocate you to do the same.  Anything less fails the 480 species of wildlife in Pennsylvania.

Sincerely;

Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

For more information:

FaceBook: @HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting  

Blog - ​https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com

A LESSON FROM AN 84-YEAR-OLD AVID HUNTER

A LESSON FROM AN 84-YEAR-OLD AVID HUNTER

One thing that I am learning is that many in the older generation of hunters walk around with blinders on when it comes to Sunday hunting.  I am referring to people in my age bracket, 50 and older.  For some unknown reason, as a whole, they seem to make the deliberate decision to remain uneducated, uninformed, and ill-tempered on the subject.  Something of which I am completely baffled by.  I just can’t understand why giving sportsmen and women more time to participate in the act of hunting is such an off-putting issue just because of the day in the week - Sunday.

But there may be hope. After presenting to the Schuylkill County Sportsmen Association an 84-year-old man approached me.  He extended his hand for me to shake and said; "Good luck with this...I need Sunday hunting. I want to hunt, but no one has time during the week to take me, and I can't hunt alone. We need more time."

His statement did not fully set in until I was home and talking to my wife about how the presentation went.  When I relayed the story to her, she responded by asking [maybe it was more of an observation] “So if an 84-year-old man gets it.  What is the problem with others?”

My only response, “I don’t know.”

Harold Daub

Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting.