SB 533 — An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for license requirements; and, in special licenses and permits, further providing for regulated hunting grounds permits.

PRINTER'S NO.   519

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 533
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY ROBINSON, LANGERHOLC, BOSCOLA, BARTOLOTTA,
        ROTHMAN, BROOKS, PENNYCUICK, FONTANA, HUTCHINSON,
        TARTAGLIONE, COSTA, BROWN, J. WARD, BAKER, STEFANO,
        MASTRIANO, DUSH, FARRY AND GEBHARD, APRIL 2, 2025

     REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, APRIL 2, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further
 3      providing for license requirements; and, in special licenses
 4      and permits, further providing for regulated hunting grounds
 5      permits.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.     Sections 2701 and 2928 of Title 34 of the
 9   Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended by adding
10   subsections to read:
11   § 2701.    License requirements.
12      * * *
13      (d)    Exemption for members of armed services and disabled
14   veterans.--
15             (1)   The commission shall issue a Military Event License
16      Exemption exempting eligible individuals under paragraph (2)
17      from the license and permit fee requirements under section
18      2709 (relating to license costs and fees) while participating
 1    in an eligible activity for which the commission has issued a
 2    Military Event License Exemption Permit under paragraph (3).
 3        (2)   The following individuals are eligible for a
 4    Military Event License Exemption under paragraph (1):
 5              (i)    A veteran of the armed forces of the United
 6        States who has been certified by the United States
 7        Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor or by
 8        any branch of the United States Armed Forces to have
 9        served during war time and has a service-connected
10        disability of 30% or more.
11              (ii)    An active duty member, reserve duty member or
12        veteran of any branch of the United States Armed Forces
13        who has received the Purple Heart.
14              (iii)    One additional individual per eligible
15        individual under subparagraph (i) or (ii), who shall
16        provide assistance to the eligible individual as
17        necessary during the specified permitted event.
18        (3)   The commission may issue a Military Event License
19    Exemption Permit for an event, subject to paragraph (5),
20    whose primary purpose is the rehabilitation or enjoyment of
21    eligible individuals. Each eligible individual must receive a
22    Military Event License Exemption to participate in the event.
23    The event may have a duration of no more than seven
24    consecutive days.
25        (4)   All regulations and requirements regarding seasons,
26    bag limits and reporting standards must be adhered to by the
27    participants of an event under paragraph (3).
28        (5)   An individual or entity that wishes to host an event
29    for which the commission may issue a Military Event License
30    Exemption Permit under paragraph (3) shall apply for the

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 1    Military Event License Exemption Permit in a manner provided
 2    by the commission no less than 14 days prior to the event.
 3    The following apply:
 4               (i)    The permit applicant shall provide the
 5        commission with the documentation required for each
 6        eligible individual participating in the event.
 7               (ii)    The permit application shall include the
 8        ability to apply for a Military Event License Exemption
 9        for each eligible individual participating in the event
10        for which the applicant is applying for a Military Event
11        License Exemption Permit.
12               (iii)    The fee to apply for a Military Event License
13        Exemption Permit shall be the product of the license cost
14        under section 2709(a)(2)(ii) and the number of eligible
15        individuals participating in the event.
16        (6)    Military Event License Exemption Permits may only be
17    used for an event hosted on private land within this
18    Commonwealth with the express approval of the landowner.
19        (7)    The commission may issue a Military Event License
20    Exemption Permit for an event with no more than 10 eligible
21    individuals participating.
22        (8)    The commission may not issue a Military Event
23    License Exemption Permit for an event that would unduly
24    impact commission resources or impose significant costs to
25    the commission.
26        (9)    The commission shall impose upon each Military Event
27    License Exemption Permit reasonable conditions that are
28    necessary to ensure that the use or activity authorized under
29    the permit will limit liability to the commission.
30        (10)    Violations of the terms of the Military Event

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 1      License Exemption Permit or violation of any other game law
 2      under this title shall result in the revocation of the permit
 3      and possible denial of future Military Event License
 4      Exemption Permit applications.
 5             (11)   The commission shall promulgate guidelines for the
 6      implementation and issuance of Military Event License
 7      Exemptions and Military Event License Exemption Permits under
 8      this subchapter.
 9             (12)   The following words and phrases when used in this
10      subsection shall have the meanings given to them in this
11      paragraph unless context clearly indicates otherwise:
12             "Eligible individual."    An individual eligible for a
13      Military Event License Exemption under paragraph (2).
14             "Military Event License Exemption."    A Military Event
15      License Exemption issued under paragraph (1).
16             "Military Event License Exemption Permit."    A Military
17      Event License Exemption Permit issued under paragraph (3).
18   § 2928.    Regulated hunting grounds permits.
19      * * *
20      (f.1)    Exception.--Notwithstanding subsection (f), a
21   permittee may remove or have removed from its premises any bird
22   that is permitted to be killed under the authority of this
23   permit without adhering to the tagging requirement of subsection
24   (f) if the permittee attaches to the package or container that
25   contains the killed birds a label that states the permittee's
26   name, address, permit number, number and types of killed birds
27   and the date the birds were killed. The label under this
28   subsection shall remain on the package or container that
29   contains the killed birds under the authority of the permit and
30   removed from the permittee's premises until the birds are either

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1   returned to the permittee's address identified on the label or
2   are prepared for consumption.
3      * * *
4      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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