PRINTER'S NO. 1473
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1115
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY KANE, KEARNEY, COLLETT, MUTH, SAVAL, COSTA,
CAPPELLETTI, FLYNN AND STREET, MARCH 7, 2022
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 7, 2022
AN ACT
Designating the Groundhog (Marmota monax), as the official State
Rodent of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Findings and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Groundhogs are members of the marmot family, and
they are also known by their scientific name of Marmota
monax.
(2) Groundhogs are large, heavy-bodied rodents attaining
weights of 5 to 12 pounds and can be up to two feet long.
(3) Groundhogs have coarse hair ranging in color from
brown to reddish yellow, and usually tipped with silver.
(4) Groundhogs have five claw-bearing digits with thick,
slightly curved claws that are used to burrow underneath the
ground.
(5) While other marmots choose to live in rocky
mountainous areas, the groundhog is a lowland animal.
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(6) Groundhogs play an important role in maintaining
healthy soil in woodland and plain areas.
(7) Groundhogs are extremely intelligent, able to form
complex social networks and understand social behavior.
(8) Groundhogs form kinship with their young and
understand and communicate threats through whistling.
(9) Groundhogs are one of the few species who enter a
true hibernation, often building a separated, winterized
burrow for this purpose.
(10) Pennsylvania is blessed with two famous and
important groundhogs among the many groundhogs who call
Pennsylvania home.
(11) Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages,
Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet
Extraordinary is world-renowned for his predictive
capabilities.
(12) Each year on February 2nd, tens of thousands of
revelers from all over the world travel to Gobbler's Knob in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to witness Phil's weather
prediction.
(13) Phil's weather prediction draws its roots from
traditions developed in Germany and from the innovations of
the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in 1886.
(14) Punxsutawney Phil has the mythical ability of
forecasting either an early spring or long winter.
(15) Phil has only predicted an early spring 19 times in
the last 135 years.
(16) The first legendary trek to Gobbler's Knob occurred
in 1887. On February 2, 2022, Phil celebrated his 136th year
of prognosticating.
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(17) Crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited
Gobbler's Knob for a multi-day festival celebrating the
town's most famous resident, Punxsutawney Phil.
(18) Groundhog Day revelers inject about $1 million into
the region's economy each year, selling out 2,600 hotel rooms
in Jefferson County and neighboring counties.
(19) The average visitor spends $200 per day on lodging,
food, gas and souvenirs while visiting Punxsutawney.
(20) Phil's impact is not limited to the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania. Phil has a worldwide presence due to social
media and his cinematic starring role in the classic and
legendary 1993 Columbia Pictures movie Groundhog Day starring
Bill Murray.
(21) While Punxsutawney Phil continues to inspire
legions of revelers each year, a second Groundhog named Gus
has won the hearts and minds of millions of Pennsylvanians
and helped raise critical funding for senior citizen
programs.
(22) Gus the Groundhog, the second-most-famous groundhog
in Pennsylvania, has served as the Pennsylvania Lottery's
brand ambassador for scratch-off games for about 13 years,
helping the Lottery generate over $13 billion for older
residents.
(23) Popular among lottery players, Gus the Groundhog is
best known for his signature tagline, "Keep on Scratchin.'"
(24) While it's not possible to attribute all profit to
the "Gus" campaign, Gus the Groundhog is an integral part of
the Lottery's comprehensive marketing efforts to responsibly
sell entertaining lottery products and generate funds to
support vital State-sponsored programs for older
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Pennsylvanians, such as property tax and rent rebates,
transportation, care services, prescription assistance and
local services, including senior centers and meals.
Section 2. Official State rodent.
The Groundhog (Marmota monax) is hereby designated as the
official rodent of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Section 3. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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