HB 1554 — An Act designating the Hynerpeton bassetti, a stem tetrapod, as the official State fossil of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and making a repeal.

PRINTER'S NO.    1837

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 1554
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY BOROWICZ, STENDER, ROWE, VITALI AND VENKAT,
        JUNE 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 4, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Designating the Hynerpeton bassetti, a stem tetrapod, as the
 2      official State fossil of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
 3      and making a repeal.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Findings and declarations.
 7      The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
 8          (1)   Hynerpeton bassetti is a specific type of extinct
 9      tetrapod and an early four-limbed vertebrate that resembled a
10      modern day amphibian.
11          (2)   Hynerpeton, meaning "crawling animal from Hyner," is
12      unique to this Commonwealth and was discovered in 1993 at the
13      Red Hill fossil site near Hyner, Pennsylvania.
14          (3)   Due to the robust structure of the shoulder girdle,
15      the Hynerpeton was thought to have very powerful muscles,
16      which aided it in walking and swimming.
17          (4)   The fossilized remains of Hynerpeton bassetti were
18      only found at the Red Hill fossil site, making this
 1      vertebrate unique to this Commonwealth.
 2          (5)   Naming the Hynerpeton bassetti as the official State
 3      fossil of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will promote
 4      appreciation, education and the study of fossils in this
 5      Commonwealth.
 6   Section 2.   Official State fossil.
 7      The Hynerpeton bassetti is selected, designated and adopted
 8   as the official State fossil of the Commonwealth of
 9   Pennsylvania.
10   Section 3.   Repeal.
11      The act of December 5, 1988 (P.L.1113, No.138), is repealed.
12   Section 4.   Effective date.
13      This act shall take effect immediately.




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