November 18, 2019
Harrisburg – November 18, 2019 – Legislation that would empower the Pennsylvania Game Commission to allow hunting on up to three Sundays each year received final legislative approval on Monday (November 18) and was sent to the Governor for enactment into law, according to Senators Dan Laughlin (R-49) and Jim Brewster (D-45).
“Today was a historic vote. We are now just one step away from increasing recreational opportunities for the thousands of Pennsylvania sportsmen and women who enjoy hunting,” said Senator Laughlin, prime cosponsor of the bill and Chairman of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee. “This has been a long time coming and is truly a tribute to the thousands of hunters and the many organizations who have supported this effort.”
“This bill is a result of collaborative effort of the major stakeholders that had an interest Sunday hunting. And will not only create opportunities for hunters- men and women, young and old to get out into Pennsylvania’s great outdoors,” said Senator Brewster, Democratic Chairman of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee and prime cosponsor of the bill. “Also, it will generate additional revenue that we can hopefully use to solve CWD, which is fatal to deer and elk.
Senate Bill 147 provides for hunting on three Sundays: one during rifle deer season, one during the statewide archery deer season and one on a Sunday determined by the Game Commission. The bill also amends the Pennsylvania Game Code to make trespassing while hunting a primary offense and increase the penalties for the offense.
“Weekends are the only free time for many hunters,” Senator Laughlin said. “Those two days are essentially the only time that most working men and women can get out into the woods. The same could be said for many young people, the ones who represent the future of the sport. Lifting the ban will give them increased opportunities to pursue the activity that they love.”
The bill also provides that written permission of the landowner is required to hunt on private property on any of the Sundays being added to the expanded Sunday hunting provisions. The penalty for a violation of this provision will be a summary offense of the third degree.
Additionally, Senate Bill 147 requires the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to perform a financial analysis of the Game Commission’s fees, fines, penalties, royalties, Federal and state appropriations and other sources of revenue received by the commission, and of expenditures, including annual operating costs, investments, land purchases and capital projects, within 180 days after the bill is enacted.
June 26, 2019
Harrisburg – June 26, 2019 – Legislation to permit hunting on three Sunday’s throughout the year passed the Senate today on a 36-14 vote according to Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland), one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
“This is an incredibly important piece of legislation for sportsmen and women in Pennsylvania,” Brewster said. “Opening up selected Sundays for hunting will spur interest in the sport, increase the number of hunters, retain in-state hunters and attract men and women from other states.”
The legislation specifies that hunting will be on three days including: one day during deer rifle season, one day during deer archery season and another day selected by the Game Commission.
Brewster said the measure would generate additional revenues for the commission. He said these revenues will help shore up finances and promote new initiatives.
The bill also includes new provisions to ensure to address trespassing. The lawmaker said that organizations representing farmers were engaged to help craft language.
Brewster teamed up with Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) to sponsor the measure. Brewster applauded Laughlin for his work and leadership on the bill.
“Senator Laughlin did an excellent job working through issues, finding common ground and moving the legislation forward,” Brewster said.
Brewster said that one of the greatest assets we have are state game lands. The game lands were paid for by hunters and help maintain open spaces for hunting and recreation.
“As a life-long sportsman, I have a tremendous appreciation of Pennsylvania’s natural resources,” Brewster said. “We have to do more to preserve natural habitats, promote conservation and safe wildlife management practices.”
There are nearly 1.5 million acres of state game lands owned and maintained by the Game Commission.
“Our hunters have supported conservation efforts in the past and we need to find ways to encourage more hunters to adopt the sport,” Brewster said. “Sunday hunting is an excellent way to spur interest in hunting and engage more young people.”
The bill now goes to the state House of Representatives for its consideration.
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June 20, 2019
Legislation will be brought to a vote in the Senate
Harrisburg – June 20, 2019 – Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) applauded the passage of his Sunday Hunting Bill (Senate Bill 147) out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation, which would authorize the Game Commission to allow Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania for up to three Sundays, will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.
“I am happy the Appropriations Committee realized the benefits of allowing Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania,” said Brewster. “Increased tourism to our state game lands, increased revenue from hunting licenses, and providing working hunters a little extra time to enjoy their sport are all positive impacts of SB147.”
Brewster authored the legislation with Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) to start a dialogue on the number of established hunting days, the process of managing public lands, protections for farmers and their crops, and how to combat chronic wasting disease that effects Pennsylvania’s deer herd. The way the bill will be amended would permit hunting on three Sundays throughout the year.
“We set out to start a conversation and I believe the approval of the bill is a positive sign that the conversation has been successful,” said Brewster. “If we are going to be a state that values the environment and conservation efforts to protect it, allowing Sunday hunting is a revenue stream that we must tap into.”
Brewster is confident that allowing the Game Commission to open state game lands for three Sundays per year will combat the decrease in hunting license sales, encourage Pennsylvania hunters to hunt in-state, and attract out-of-state hunters for weekend trips. These three aspects will bring increased revenue for conversation initiatives championed by the Game Commission and support rural communities near state game lands.
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January 13, 2015
Harrisburg – Jan. 13, 2015 – Hunters and outdoor-sports enthusiasts will soon be able to obtain a license plate for their vehicles honoring Pennsylvania’s hunting heritage, state Sen. Jim Brewster (D-
Allegheny/Westmoreland) said today.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will process applications for the Hunting Heritage plate. The application will be available through the Game Commission website and should be available for purchase in February.
“A new license plate honoring hunting as a sport in Pennsylvania was long overdue,” Brewster said. “I am excited that Pennsylvania hunters, sportsmen and women will soon be able to apply for a license plate that highlights our deep-rooted heritage.”
Brewster said that he initially introduced the measure following a discussion he had with his uncle Ron Maurer, a resident of Elizabeth Township who asked him about the potential for hunters to have their own license plate.
The lawmaker’s bill was initially introduced as Senate Bill 773. The measure was eventually incorporated into Senate Bill 1187 and was signed into law on July 2, 2014 as Act 109.
According to Brewster, the new law calls for the proceeds from the fee that is charged for the plate will go to food banks and non-profit organizations that promote hunting, youth hunting and the enhancement of game species.
Brewster credited lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in helping smooth the passage of the legislation. He thanked Sen. Richard Alloway (R-Franklin) and former Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette), who were last session’s Republican and Democratic chairs of the Senate’s game and fisheries committee, along with Sen. David Argall (R-Schuykill) for helping push the measure for a vote.
He also said that the plate would never have been created without the support of the Pennsylvania Game Commission President Robert W. Schlemmer, whose granddaughter helped PennDOT and the Game Commission with the design of the plate.
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July 1, 2014
Governor’s desk next stop for Brewster’s proposal
Harrisburg – July 1, 2014 – A proposal authored by state Sen. Jim Brewster that calls for the development of a Pennsylvania Hunting Heritage license plate has been unanimously adopted by the Senate, Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) said.
The bill, which was previously amended into related legislation and approved in both the state House and Senate, will now go to the governor for approval.
“It is important to recognize hunters and their heritage and I am pleased that the proposal worked its way through the General Assembly and will now go to the governor’s desk for approval,” Brewster said. “There are more than one million hunters in Pennsylvania and many of those sportsmen may be interested in a hunting heritage plate.”
Brewster introduced his measure early in this session and it was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee on June 13, 2013.
The legislation requires that the Game Commission be consulted in the development of a Pennsylvania Hunting Heritage Registration Plate and a fee will be charged for ordering the plate.
The legislation specifies that one-third of the proceeds from the fee be allocated to nonprofits that coordinate the distribution of donated deer and wild game to food banks. The other two-thirds of the proceeds will be used as grants to sportsmen’s clubs to promote sport hunting, youth hunter education and the replenishment of game species.
Brewster introduced his legislation, Senate Bill 773, early in the legislative session and it was incorporated into Senate Bill 1187.The language in Brewster’s bill was amended into legislation that would establish a license plate for recipients of the Combat Infantry Badge.
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