SB 469 — An Act amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for law enforcement; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions and for license costs and fees.

PRINTER'S NO.   423

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 469
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY LANGERHOLC, PENNYCUICK, CULVER, STEFANO, VOGEL,
        BARTOLOTTA, FONTANA, MILLER AND COSTA, MARCH 18, 2025

     REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 18, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses, providing for law
 3      enforcement; and, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further
 4      providing for resident license and fee exemptions and for
 5      license costs and fees.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.    Title 30 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10   § 2707.3.   Law enforcement.
11      (a)   Eligibility.--The commission or a county treasurer shall
12   issue one annual resident fishing license at a cost of $1 to any
13   person eligible for the license under section 2701 (relating to
14   resident fishing licenses) who provides documentation that the
15   person is employed as an officer in this Commonwealth.
16      (b)   Regulations.--The commission may promulgate regulations
17   to implement this section.
18      (c)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
19   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 1   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 2      "Law enforcement agency."   Any of the following:
 3          (1)   A public agency of a political subdivision having
 4      general police powers and charged with making arrests in
 5      connection with the enforcement of criminal or traffic laws.
 6          (2)   A campus police or university police department, as
 7      used in section 2416 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
 8      No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, certified
 9      by the Office of Attorney General as a criminal justice
10      agency as defined under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9102 (relating to
11      definitions).
12          (3)   A railroad or street railway police department
13      formed with officers commissioned under 22 Pa.C.S. Ch. 33
14      (relating to railroad and street railway police) or any prior
15      statute providing for the commissioning.
16          (4)   An airport authority police department, including
17      the Harrisburg International Airport Police.
18          (5)   A county park police force created under section
19      2511(b) of the former act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323,
20      No.130), known as The County Code, or 16 Pa.C.S. § 16511(b)
21      (relating to employees and police).
22      "Officer."   The term shall include the following:
23          (1)   An employee of a law enforcement agency who is
24      empowered to enforce the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. (relating
25      to crimes and offenses) and other laws of this Commonwealth.
26          (2)   A member of the Pennsylvania State Police.
27          (3)   A corrections officer as defined under 61 Pa.C.S. §
28      102 (relating to definitions).
29          (4)   A waterways patrolman and a deputy waterways
30      patrolman as the terms are defined in section 102 (relating

20250SB0469PN0423                   - 2 -
 1      to definitions).
 2             (5)   An officer as defined under 34 Pa.C.S. § 102
 3      (relating to definitions).
 4             (6)   A county sheriff, full-time deputy sheriff employed
 5      by a county sheriff in this Commonwealth or a part-time
 6      deputy sheriff employed by a county sheriff in this
 7      Commonwealth.
 8      Section 2.         Section 2706 of Title 34 is amended by adding a
 9   subsection to read:
10   § 2706.    Resident license and fee exemptions.
11      * * *
12      (i)    Law enforcement hunting licenses.--
13             (1)   Law enforcement hunting licenses shall be issued by
14      the commission, county treasurer or issuing agent to any
15      person otherwise eligible for a resident hunting license in
16      this Commonwealth who provides documentation that the person
17      is employed in this Commonwealth as an officer.
18             (2)   The commission may promulgate regulations to
19      implement this subsection.
20             (3)   As used in this subsection, the following words and
21      phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
22      paragraph unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
23             "Law enforcement agency."         Any of the following:
24                   (i)    A public agency of a political subdivision
25             having general police powers and charged with making
26             arrests in connection with the enforcement of criminal or
27             traffic laws.
28                   (ii)    A campus police or university police
29             department, as used in section 2416 of the act of April
30             9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative

20250SB0469PN0423                        - 3 -
 1        Code of 1929, certified by the Office of Attorney General
 2        as a criminal justice agency as defined under 18 Pa.C.S.
 3        § 9102 (relating to definitions).
 4             (iii)    A railroad or street railway police department
 5        formed with officers commissioned under 22 Pa.C.S. Ch. 33
 6        (relating to railroad and street railway police) or any
 7        prior statute providing for the commissioning.
 8             (iv)    An airport authority police department,
 9        including the Harrisburg International Airport Police.
10             (v)    A county park police force created under section
11        2511(b) of the former act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323,
12        No.130), known as The County Code, or 16 Pa.C.S. §
13        16511(b) (relating to employees and police).
14        "Officer."    The term shall include the following:
15             (i)    An employee of a law enforcement agency who is
16        empowered to enforce the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S.
17        (relating to crimes and offenses) and other laws of this
18        Commonwealth.
19             (ii)    A member of the Pennsylvania State Police.
20             (iii)    A corrections officer as defined under 61
21        Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to definitions).
22             (iv)    A waterways patrolman and a deputy waterways
23        patrolman as the terms are defined in 30 Pa.C.S. § 102
24        (relating to definitions).
25             (v)    An officer as defined under section 102
26        (relating to definitions).
27             (vi)    A county sheriff, full-time deputy sheriff
28        employed by a county sheriff in this Commonwealth or a
29        part-time deputy sheriff employed by a county sheriff in
30        this Commonwealth.

20250SB0469PN0423                  - 4 -
 1      Section 3.       Section 2709(a)(2) of Title 34 is amended by
 2   adding a subparagraph to read:
 3   § 2709.    License costs and fees.
 4      (a)    License costs.--Any person who qualifies under the
 5   provisions of this chapter shall be issued the applicable
 6   license upon payment of the following costs and the issuing
 7   agent's fee:
 8             * * *
 9             (2)     * * *
10                   (vii)     Law enforcement hunting - $1.
11             * * *
12      Section 4.       This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250SB0469PN0423                         - 5 -