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PRINTER'S NO. 779
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
671
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY HANNA, FARINA, McNEILL, D. COSTA, DeLUCA,
GODSHALL, COHEN, MURT AND GOODMAN, MARCH 2, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 2, 2015
AN ACT
Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, further providing for powers and duties of
commission; and establishing the Antlerless Deer Harvest
Committee.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 322(a) and (c)(13) of Title 34 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
§ 322. Powers and duties of commission.
(a) Duties.--It shall be the duty of the commission to
protect, propagate, manage and preserve the game or wildlife of
this Commonwealth and to enforce, by proper actions and
proceedings, the laws of this Commonwealth relating thereto. In
fulfilling this duty, the commission shall focus primarily on
serving the interest of sportsmen and preserving and promoting
this Commonwealth's special heritage of recreational hunting and
furtaking.
* * *
(c) Specific powers and duties.--In order to administrate
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and enforce this title, the commission through proper action
shall:
* * *
(13) Serve the interest of sportsmen by preserving and
promoting [our] this Commonwealth's special heritage of
recreational hunting and furtaking by maximizing the
sustainable harvest of the whitetail deer herd and providing
adequate opportunity to hunt and trap the wildlife resources
of this Commonwealth.
Section 2. Title 34 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 2315. Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee.
(a) Establishment.--The Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee is
established.
(b) Composition.--The committee shall consist of licensed
hunters. One member shall be appointed by each of the following:
(1) The Board of Commissioners of the commission.
(2) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
(3) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
(4) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(5) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(c) Restriction.--No member of the commission may be
appointed to the committee.
(d) Term.--
(1) The member appointed under subsection (b)(1) shall
serve an initial term of four years.
(2) The members appointed under subsection (b)(2) and
(5) shall each serve an initial term of three years.
(3) The members appointed under subsection (b)(3) and
(4) shall each serve an initial term of two years.
(4) Upon expiration of the terms under paragraphs (1),
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(2) and (3), members shall serve terms of four years.
(e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the committee shall be filled
by the appointing authority for the balance of the term.
(f) Chair.--The chair shall be elected annually by a
majority vote of the members of the committee.
(g) Duties.--Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to
the contrary, the committee shall determine the total antlerless
deer licenses allocated for each wildlife management unit. In
making the determination, the committee shall do all of the
following:
(1) Receive the written allocation recommendations from
the commission under subsection (i).
(2) Within 45 days of receipt of the recommendations
under paragraph (1), accept or change the allocation
recommendations for each management unit provided by the
commission by a majority vote of the committee. If the
committee fails to act within 45 days of receipt of the
allocation recommendations, the allocation recommendation for
that management unit shall be deemed to be accepted by the
committee.
(h) Expenses.--Members of the committee shall receive no
compensation for their services but shall receive reimbursement
for necessary and proper expenses for attendance at meetings.
(i) Duties of commission.--The commission shall:
(1) Provide to the committee written allocation
recommendations for antlerless deer license allocations for
each management unit for the upcoming hunting season by April
1 of each year.
(2) Provide or produce any data or study requested by
the committee.
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Section 3. The Antlerless Deer Harvest Committee shall be
established within 30 days of the effective date of this section
and shall determine antlerless deer license allocations
beginning with the 2016 antlerless deer hunting season.
Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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