HB 508 — An Act establishing the Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

PRINTER'S NO.   490

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 508
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY PROBST, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, GIRAL, KHAN, BRENNAN,
        HOWARD, DALEY, OTTEN AND GREEN, FEBRUARY 5, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, FEBRUARY 5, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program and the
 2      Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund; and imposing duties on
 3      the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Wildlife
 8   Rehabilitation Grant Program Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Commission."    The Pennsylvania Game Commission.
14      "Facilities."    Equipment or housing used in, or necessary
15   for, wildlife rehabilitation.
16      "Fund."   The Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund established
17   under section 5(a).
18      "Program."    The Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program
 1   established under section 3(a).
 2      "Wildlife."     As defined in 34 Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to
 3   definitions).
 4      "Wildlife rehabilitation."     As follows:
 5            (1)   The recovery, treatment, restoration or temporary
 6      care of injured, sick, diseased, orphaned or displaced
 7      wildlife.
 8            (2)   The term includes the subsequent release of healthy
 9      wildlife to appropriate habitats in the wild.
10      "Wildlife rehabilitator."     A nonprofit organization permitted
11   as a wildlife rehabilitator in accordance with 58 Pa. Code Ch.
12   147 Subch. P (relating to wildlife rehabilitation).
13   Section 3.     Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program.
14      (a)   Establishment.--The Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant
15   Program is established and shall be administered by the
16   commission.
17      (b)   Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to award grants
18   to wildlife rehabilitators in accordance with this act.
19      (c)   Eligible uses of grants.--Grants awarded under the
20   program must be used for the following purposes:
21            (1)   Wildlife rehabilitation.
22            (2)   The improvement of facilities for wildlife
23      rehabilitation.
24            (3)   A purpose related to any of the purposes described
25      under paragraph (1) or (2), as determined by the commission.
26   Section 4.     Grant process.
27      (a)   Application.--To be eligible for a grant under the
28   program, a wildlife rehabilitator must submit a written grant
29   application to the commission in a manner and on a form
30   prescribed by the commission. The application must include the

20250HB0508PN0490                    - 2 -
 1   following information:
 2            (1)   The name, address and contact information of the
 3      wildlife rehabilitator.
 4            (2)   The purpose or purposes for which the grant is
 5      sought.
 6            (3)   The amount of the grant requested.
 7            (4)   The wildlife intake of the wildlife rehabilitator
 8      from the previous fiscal year.
 9            (5)   Any other information or documentation required by
10      the commission.
11      (b)   Review and determination.--
12            (1)   Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), within 60 days
13      after receipt of a completed application under the program,
14      the commission shall review the application and determine
15      whether to approve or deny the application, in whole or in
16      part.
17            (2)   If the commission fails to make a determination in
18      accordance with paragraph (1), the application shall be
19      deemed denied.
20            (3)   To aid in the determination of whether to award a
21      grant under the program, the commission may require
22      additional information or verification following receipt of a
23      completed application. The time period specified under
24      paragraph (1) shall commence upon receipt of the additional
25      information or verification.
26      (c)   Wildlife intake.--The commission shall determine the
27   amount of each grant under the program based on the wildlife
28   intake of the wildlife rehabilitator from the previous fiscal
29   year, which is set as follows:
30            (1)   For wildlife intake numbers of 1 to 100, $2,500.

20250HB0508PN0490                    - 3 -
 1            (2)   For wildlife intake numbers of 101 to 250, $5,000.
 2            (3)   For wildlife intake numbers of 251 to 500, $7,500.
 3            (4)   For wildlife intake numbers of 501 to 750, $10,000.
 4            (5)   For wildlife intake numbers of 751 to 1,000,
 5      $15,000.
 6            (6)   For wildlife intake numbers of 1,001 to 1,500,
 7      $20,000.
 8            (7)   For wildlife intake numbers of 1,501 to 2,000,
 9      $35,000.
10            (8)   For wildlife intake numbers of 2,001 to 2,500,
11      $50,000.
12            (9)   For wildlife intake numbers of more than 2,500,
13      $75,000.
14      (d)   Other limitations.--
15            (1)   Grants under the program shall be disbursed on a
16      first-come, first-served basis determined by the commission
17      and until all money in the fund is exhausted.
18            (2)   The commission may award only one grant during a
19      calendar year for each office location of a wildlife
20      rehabilitator.
21      (e)   Notice.--After making a determination regarding the
22   approval or denial, in whole or in part, of an application under
23   the program, the commission shall provide written notice of the
24   determination to the applicant in accordance with the following:
25            (1)   If the commission approves the application, the
26      notice must include the amount of the grant awarded and any
27      conditions or restrictions on the use of the grant.
28            (2)   If the commission denies the application, in whole
29      or in part, the notice must include the reasons for the
30      denial.

20250HB0508PN0490                    - 4 -
 1      (f)     Report by wildlife rehabilitator.--No later than the May
 2   1 after a wildlife rehabilitator receives a grant under this
 3   act, the wildlife rehabilitator shall provide to the commission
 4   information on the use of the grant, including the wildlife
 5   intake and wildlife rehabilitation efforts made possible as a
 6   result of the grant, on a form and in a manner determined by the
 7   commission.
 8   Section 5.     Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund.
 9      (a)     Establishment.--The Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Fund
10   is established as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury. Any
11   money remaining in the fund, including interest, at the end of
12   each fiscal year shall revert to the Game Fund.
13      (b)     Fund sources.--
14            (1)   The General Assembly may appropriate money to carry
15      out the provisions of this act.
16            (2)   The commission may solicit and accept alternative
17      funding for the program, including Federal money, grants,
18      donations, gifts and other payments from any source.
19            (3)   Money for the program shall be deposited into the
20      fund.
21      (c)     Appropriation.--All money deposited into the fund and
22   interest earned on the money in the fund are appropriated to the
23   commission on a continuing basis to award grants under the
24   program.
25   Section 6.     Reports.
26      (a)     Submittal.--No later than the June 1 that is at least
27   one year after the effective date of this subsection and each
28   June 1 thereafter, the commission shall submit a report on the
29   program to the following:
30            (1)   The Governor.

20250HB0508PN0490                    - 5 -
 1            (2)   The executive director of the commission.
 2            (3)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 3      Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
 4            (4)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 5      Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
 6            (5)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Game
 7      and Fisheries Committee of the Senate.
 8            (6)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Game
 9      and Fisheries Committee of the House of Representatives.
10      (b)   Contents.--Each annual report under this section shall
11   include the following:
12            (1)   The number of applications received under the
13      program.
14            (2)   The number of grants awarded under the program.
15            (3)   The total dollar amount of grants awarded under the
16      program.
17            (4)   The amount of each grant awarded under the program.
18            (5)   The number of grants denied under the program, in
19      whole or in part, along with the reasons for the denial.
20            (6)   The amount remaining in the fund.
21            (7)   The use of each grant awarded, including each
22      wildlife rehabilitator's wildlife intake and wildlife
23      rehabilitation efforts made possible as a result of the
24      grant.
25            (8)   Any recommendations by the commission to improve the
26      program.
27      (c)   Posting.--Each annual report under this section shall be
28   posted on the publicly accessible Internet website of the
29   commission.
30   Section 7.     Policies and procedures.

20250HB0508PN0490                    - 6 -
1      The commission shall implement any necessary policy or
2   procedure to administer the program and fund.
3   Section 8.   Effective date.
4      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB0508PN0490                  - 7 -