AN ACT

 

1Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2Statutes, further providing for powers and duties of
3commission; and establishing the Antlerless Deer Harvest
4Committee.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Section 322(a) and (c)(13) of Title 34 of the
8Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

9§ 322. Powers and duties of commission.

10(a) Duties.--It shall be the duty of the commission to
11protect, propagate, manage and preserve the game or wildlife of
12this Commonwealth and to enforce, by proper actions and
13proceedings, the laws of this Commonwealth relating thereto. In 
14fulfilling this duty, the commission shall focus primarily on 
15serving the interest of sportsmen and our special heritage of 
16recreational hunting and furtaking.

17* * *

18(c) Specific powers and duties.--In order to administrate

1and enforce this title, the commission through proper action
2shall:

3* * *

4(13) Serve the interest of sportsmen by preserving and
5promoting our special heritage of recreational hunting and
6furtaking by maximizing the sustainable harvest of the 
7whitetail deer herd and providing adequate opportunity to
8hunt and trap the wildlife resources of this Commonwealth.

9Section 2. Title 34 is amended by adding a section to read:

10§ 2315. Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee.

11(a) Establishment.--The Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee is
12established.

13(b) Composition.--The committee shall consist of licensed
14hunters. One member shall be appointed by each of the following:

15(1) The Board of Commissioners of the commission.

16(2) The President pro tempore of the Senate.

17(3) The Minority Leader of the Senate.

18(4) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.

19(5) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

20(c) Restriction.--No member of the commission may be
21appointed to the committee.

22(d) Term.--

23(1) The member appointed under subsection (b)(1) shall
24serve an initial term of four years.

25(2) The members appointed under subsection (b)(2) and
26(5) shall each serve an initial term of three years.

27(3) The members appointed under subsection (b)(3) and
28(4) shall each serve an initial term of two years.

29(4) Upon expiration of the terms under paragraphs (1),
30(2) and (3), members shall serve terms of four years.

1(e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the committee shall be filled
2by the appointing authority for the balance of the term.

3(f) Chair.--The chair shall be elected annually by a
4majority vote of the members of the committee.

5(g) Duties.--Notwithstanding any other law, the committee
6shall determine the total antlerless deer licenses allocated for
7each wildlife management unit. In making the determination, the
8committee shall do all of the following:

9(1) Receive the written allocation recommendations from
10the commission under subsection (i).

11(2) Within 45 days of receipt of the recommendations
12under paragraph (1), accept or change the allocation
13recommendations for each management unit provided by the
14commission by a majority vote of the committee. If the
15committee fails to act within 45 days of receipt of the
16allocation recommendations, the allocation recommendation for
17that management unit shall be deemed to be accepted by the
18committee.

19(h) Expenses.--Members of the committee shall receive no
20compensation for their services but shall receive reimbursement
21for necessary and proper expenses for attendance at meetings.

22(i) Duties of commission.--The commission shall:

23(1) Provide to the committee written allocation
24recommendations for antlerless deer license allocations for
25each management unit for the upcoming hunting season by April
261 of each year.

27(2) Provide or produce any data or study requested by
28the committee.

29Section 3. The Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee shall be
30established within 30 days of the effective date of this section

1and shall determine antlerless deer license allocations
2beginning with the 2014 antlerless deer hunting season.

3Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.