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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20130&cosponId=14773
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House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: May 22, 2014 03:20 PM
From: Representative Neal P. Goodman
To: All House members
Subject: Title 34 (Game) legislation
 
I will be introducing 3 bills amending the Game and Wildlife Code.



Document #1

Introduced as HB2538

Description: This legislation would create a new district of the PA Game Commission, increasing the board from 8 to 9 members.  This is a re-introduction of HB 971 from 2009.

My bill will divide the current 8th district into two, establishing a new 9th district that would include Schuylkill, Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties.  The 8th district is now comprised of those four counties plus Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia.

At present, District 8 covers 40% of the state's population.  The urban to rural demographic is vastly different in terms of habitat management, topography, hunting access, harvest goals, and available wildlife.  I believe it is nearly impossible to expect one commissioner to adequately represent such a large and diverse district.  Dividing the district will provide hunters from both regions access to a commissioner who is both geographically closer and more attuned to their issues.

Pursuant to the addition of a 9th member, the bill would also increase from 6 to 7 the number of commissioners required for a quorum.

Previously co-sponsored by:  Godshall, Belfanti, Haluska, Kortz, Mahoney, McIlvaine-Smith, Readshaw, Reichley, Siptroth, Murt.
 

Document #2

Introduced as HB2539

Description: This legislation would increase the eligible age for both resident and nonresident junior hunting licenses to 21.  Pennsylvania would be the first state in the nation to provide this expanded privilege.

Currently Title 34 provides resident and nonresident hunters age 12 through 16 with three types of licenses:  Junior Hunting, Junior Furtaker, and Junior Combination.  By expanding eligibility for junior licenses through age 21, I hope to better accommodate those who attend college or trade school, or enter the workforce and find they can only occasionally return home to hunt, often with very limited time.  I also hope to keep young people vested in the activity of hunting and trapping during a time period in their lives when they are becoming financially independent from their parents.

Pennsylvania led the nation when we became the first state to offer a mentored hunting program to kids under the age of 12.  This legislation is intended to build on the progress we've made over the years in recruiting new hunters by keeping hunting and trapping affordable for an age group that is vulnerable to abandoning these activities.
 

Document #3

Introduced as HB2540

Description: This legislation would restrict certain turkey calling practices.

In advance of the spring gobbler season, I feel some hunters take an unfair advantage by regularly calling the birds before the start of the season, thereby "educating" them through repetition.

My bill would address this issue by prohibiting turkey calling 30 days prior to the beginning of the spring gobbler season.  It would not affect calling during the season or at any other time of year, including the fall turkey season.