PRINTER'S NO. 2469
No. 1436 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY GERGELY, McGEEHAN, KORTZ, BASTIAN, BELFANTI,
BENNINGHOFF, BRENNAN, DALEY, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL,
GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARKINS, HELM, HERSHEY, JAMES, KOTIK,
KULA, LEVDANSKY, MAHONEY, MANN, McILHATTAN, MOYER, MURT,
PETRONE, PRESTON, PYLE, RAMALEY, REICHLEY, ROHRER, SAINATO,
SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, STURLA, WALKO, J. WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD,
SEPTEMBER 24, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for acknowledgment of guilt and
3 receipts for payment; providing for a youth fishing license;
4 and further providing for exemptions from license
5 requirements and for license, permit and issuing agent fees.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 925(d) of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania
9 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
10 § 925. Acknowledgment of guilt and receipts for payment.
11 * * *
12 (d) Limitations on acknowledgments of guilt.--[On and after
13 December 31, 1999,] Except as otherwise provided in this
14 subsection, acknowledgments of guilt pursuant to this section
15 shall be used only in such counties as the commission may
16 designate by regulation for such use upon a finding that the
17 county has summary offense procedures that differ from those
1 used in other counties. The limitations of this subsection do
2 not apply to acknowledgments of guilt for violations of section
3 2702.2 (relating to youth fishing license).
4 Section 2. Title 30 is amended by adding a section to read:
5 § 2702.2. Youth fishing license.
6 (a) General rule.--No person 12 through 15 years of age
7 shall fish in any of the waters of this Commonwealth, excluding
8 boundary waters except for Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay,
9 without first procuring a youth fishing license. Any person 12
10 through 15 years of age is eligible for a youth fishing license
11 when the person has applied to an issuing agent within this
12 Commonwealth or to the commission and has paid the issuing agent
13 or the commission a license fee as set forth in section 2715
14 (relating to license, permit and issuing agent fees). Holders of
15 youth fishing licenses shall not be required to obtain special
16 permits, including trout/salmon permits to fish for trout or
17 salmon or special permits to fish in Lake Erie and its
18 tributaries.
19 (b) Purposes.--
20 (1) The commission shall separately account for the
21 proceeds from the sale of youth fishing licenses and shall
22 use those proceeds for programs benefiting youth anglers.
23 (2) No later than March 1 of each year, the commission,
24 through its executive director, shall submit an annual
25 written report to the Game and Fisheries Committee of the
26 Senate and the Game and Fisheries Committee of the House of
27 Representatives which shall include information on youth
28 fishing license proceeds, disbursements and expenditures of
29 the proceeds and significant accomplishments of the programs
30 and services supported by the proceeds for the preceding
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1 year.
2 (c) Possession and display.--
3 (1) The license shall be kept about the person while
4 fishing and shall be shown upon the request of any waterways
5 conservation officer or other officer designated by the
6 commission.
7 (2) The commission may promulgate rules and regulations
8 for the displaying of the license certificate, license button
9 or other device, as it deems necessary.
10 (d) No fee licenses.--The commission may issue youth fishing
11 licenses without a fee and in such form as the commission may
12 determine. The commission may issue a no fee license to any
13 person 12 through 15 years of age who meets the eligibility
14 requirements established by the executive director.
15 (e) Penalties.--Any person who violates this section commits
16 a summary offense of the fourth degree.
17 (f) Expiration.--The provisions of this section shall expire
18 December 31, 2014.
19 Section 3. Section 2709(e) of Title 30 is amended to read:
20 § 2709. Exemptions from license requirements.
21 * * *
22 (e) [Students participating in biological field project.--A
23 student enrolled in a secondary or undergraduate course of
24 instruction shall not be required to possess a fishing license
25 to gather specimens while participating in an educationally
26 sponsored biological field project that is under the direct
27 supervision of a high school or accredited institution of
28 postsecondary education as long as the educational institution
29 has applied for and received the written permission of the
30 commission.] Participants in educational programs.--A
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1 participant in an educational program shall not be required to
2 possess a fishing license while participating in the educational
3 program provided that the program meets the standards
4 established by the executive director and is under the direct
5 supervision of an instructor who possesses a valid fishing
6 license and the program sponsor has applied for and received the
7 written permission of the executive director.
8 * * *
9 Section 4. Section 2715(b) of Title 30 is amended and
10 subsection (a) is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
11 § 2715. License, permit and issuing agent fees.
12 (a) License fees.--The following fees apply to fishing
13 licenses issued under this chapter and shall be paid into the
14 Fish Fund:
15 * * *
16 (6.3) Youth Fishing License, $5.
17 * * *
18 (b) Issuing agent fees.--[The] Except as otherwise provided
19 in this subsection, the issuing agent fee to be retained by the
20 issuing agent as provided in section 2711 (relating to issuing
21 agents) for fishing licenses and permits shall be $1. Issuing
22 agents shall not collect and retain an issuing agent fee for the
23 issuance of youth fishing licenses under section 2702.2
24 (relating to youth fishing license).
25 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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