HB 968 — An Act amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for active duty military fishing reciprocity and for disabled veteran annual fishing license reciprocity; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, providing for active duty military hunting reciprocity and for disabled veteran annual hunting license reciprocity.

PRINTER'S NO.   1049

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 968
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY PIELLI, SANCHEZ, PROBST, KHAN, PICKETT, GIRAL,
        BRENNAN, GUENST, NEILSON, HILL-EVANS, DELLOSO, KUZMA,
        HADDOCK, CIRESI, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, DONAHUE, FREEMAN, GREEN,
        KRUPA, STEELE, KAZEEM AND KOZAK, MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 19, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for
 3      active duty military fishing reciprocity and for disabled
 4      veteran annual fishing license reciprocity; and, in hunting
 5      and furtaking licenses, providing for active duty military
 6      hunting reciprocity and for disabled veteran annual hunting
 7      license reciprocity.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    Title 30 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
11   Statutes is amended by adding sections to read:
12   § 2702.2.   Active duty military fishing reciprocity.
13      (a)   Permission.--Notwithstanding section 2709(f) (relating
14   to exemptions from license requirements), any person who
15   possesses a valid and lawfully issued active duty military
16   fishing license or permit which has been issued under the laws
17   of another state, regardless of whether a reciprocity agreement
18   exists between the Commonwealth and the state under subsection
19   (b), may fish in any of the waters of this Commonwealth or in
 1   any boundary waters if all of the following apply:
 2            (1)    The state provides a reciprocal privilege for a
 3      nonresident individual who is on active military duty in the
 4      armed forces of the United States.
 5            (2)    The Attorney General has determined that the fishing
 6      laws of the state are similar to the fishing laws of this
 7      Commonwealth.
 8      (b)   Reciprocity.--
 9            (1)    The Attorney General shall have the power and duty
10      to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states
11      providing for the mutual recognition of active duty military
12      fishing within this Commonwealth and the similar allowance of
13      fishing allowed by the other state. To carry out this duty,
14      the Attorney General is authorized to negotiate reciprocity
15      agreements and grant recognition of an active duty military
16      fishing allowance or license issued by another state.
17            (2)    The Attorney General shall report to the General
18      Assembly within 180 days of the effective date of this
19      paragraph and annually thereafter concerning the agreements
20      which have been consummated under this subsection.
21   § 2702.3.      Disabled veteran annual fishing license reciprocity.
22      (a)   Permission.--Notwithstanding section 2709(f) (relating
23   to exemptions from license requirements), any person who
24   possesses a valid and lawfully issued disabled veteran annual
25   fishing license or permit which has been issued under the laws
26   of another state, regardless of whether a reciprocity agreement
27   exists between the Commonwealth and the state under subsection
28   (b), may fish in any of the waters of this Commonwealth or in
29   any boundary waters if all of the following apply:
30            (1)    The state provides a reciprocal privilege for

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 1      individuals possessing a disabled veteran annual fishing
 2      license issued under section 2707(a) (relating to disabled
 3      veterans and former prisoners of war).
 4            (2)    The Attorney General has determined that the fishing
 5      laws of the state are similar to the fishing laws of this
 6      Commonwealth.
 7      (b)   Reciprocity.--
 8            (1)    The Attorney General shall have the power and duty
 9      to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states
10      providing for the mutual recognition of disabled veteran
11      annual fishing licenses issued by the Commonwealth and a
12      similar license or permit issued by the other state. To carry
13      out this duty, the Attorney General is authorized to
14      negotiate reciprocity agreements and grant recognition of a
15      disabled veteran annual fishing license or permit issued by
16      another state.
17            (2)    The Attorney General shall report to the General
18      Assembly within 180 days of the effective date of this
19      paragraph and annually thereafter concerning the agreements
20      which have been consummated under this subsection.
21      Section 2.      Title 34 is amended by adding sections to read:
22   § 2703.1.      Active duty military hunting reciprocity.
23      (a)   Permission.--Notwithstanding section 2706(b) and (e)
24   (relating to resident license and fee exemptions), any person
25   who possesses a valid and lawfully issued active duty military
26   hunting license or permit which has been issued under the laws
27   of another state, regardless of whether a reciprocity agreement
28   exists between the Commonwealth and the state under subsection
29   (b), may hunt within this Commonwealth if all of the following
30   apply:

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 1            (1)    The state provides a reciprocal privilege for a
 2      nonresident individual who is on active military duty in the
 3      armed forces of the United States.
 4            (2)    The Attorney General has determined that the hunting
 5      laws of the state are similar to the hunting laws of this
 6      Commonwealth.
 7      (b)   Reciprocity.--
 8            (1)    The Attorney General shall have the power and duty
 9      to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states
10      providing for the mutual recognition of active duty military
11      hunting within this Commonwealth and the similar allowance of
12      hunting allowed by the other state. To carry out this duty,
13      the Attorney General is authorized to negotiate reciprocity
14      agreements and grant recognition of an active duty military
15      hunting allowance or license issued by another state.
16            (2)    The Attorney General shall report to the General
17      Assembly within 180 days of the effective date of this
18      section and annually thereafter concerning the agreements
19      which have been consummated under this subsection.
20   § 2703.2.      Disabled veteran annual hunting license reciprocity.
21      (a)   Permission.--Notwithstanding section 2706(b) and (e)
22   (relating to resident license and fee exemptions), any person
23   who possesses a valid and lawfully issued disabled veteran
24   annual hunting license or permit which has been issued under the
25   laws of another state, regardless of whether a reciprocity
26   agreement exists between the Commonwealth and the state under
27   subsection (b), may hunt in this Commonwealth if all of the
28   following apply:
29            (1)    The state provides a reciprocal privilege for
30      individuals possessing a disabled veteran annual hunting

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 1    license issued under section 2706(b).
 2          (2)   The Attorney General has determined that the hunting
 3    laws of the state are similar to the hunting laws of this
 4    Commonwealth.
 5    (b)   Reciprocity.--
 6          (1)   The Attorney General shall have the power and duty
 7    to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states
 8    providing for the mutual recognition of disabled veteran
 9    annual hunting licenses issued by the Commonwealth and a
10    similar license or permit issued by the other state. To carry
11    out this duty, the Attorney General is authorized to
12    negotiate reciprocity agreements and grant recognition of a
13    disabled veteran annual hunting license or permit issued by
14    another state.
15          (2)   The Attorney General shall report to the General
16    Assembly within 180 days of the effective date of this
17    paragraph and annually thereafter concerning the agreements
18    which have been consummated under this subsection.
19    Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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