SB 518 Pennsylvania Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for organization of commission; in game or wildlife protection, further providing for report to commission officer, for surrender of carcass to commission officer, for unlawful activities and for killing game or wildlife to protect person; and, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for investigation and seizure of game or wildlife.

SB 518 requires hunters to report wildlife kills (except raccoons) to a wildlife officer within 24 hours and surrender the entire carcass (except raccoons) to an officer or approved processor. It also makes refusing to answer questions about kills or carcass disposal unlawful, and mandates reporting when killing wildlife to protect oneself. The law directly affects hunters, landowners (including farmers under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Farm Law), and wildlife officers. Key provisions include standardized reporting methods (phone, online) and clearer rules for carcass handling and investigations.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Mar 25, 2025 Signed Jun 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN0481 Printer's No. PN1014 · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill significantly restructures the Pennsylvania Game Commission by adding a new section that formally defines the commission's composition, requiring nine members appointed by the Governor with Senate consent, including at least one representative for agricultural interests. It also introduces new mandatory reporting requirements for hunters to notify a commission officer within 24 hours of killing game and mandates the surrender of carcasses to officers or designated processors, replacing previous provisions that focused on answering questions or surrendering carcasses only in specific contexts.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of the Pennsylvania Game Commission by establishing its organizational structure and broadens the applicability of reporting and carcass surrender rules to all game and wildlife (excluding raccoons) killed under the subchapter.
DEFINITION

Added a new section defining the Pennsylvania Game Commission's composition, specifying nine members appointed by the Governor with Senate consent, and defining terms like 'agricultural commodity' and 'normal agricultural operation'.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for any person killing game or wildlife (except raccoons) to report the killing to a commission officer within 24 hours, including details like date, time, location, and species.

Added a new requirement for the surrender of entire carcasses (including head and hide) of big game and other wildlife (except raccoons) to a commission officer or a designated processor.

Removed specific language regarding the surrender of carcasses in the context of killing game to protect a person, as this is now covered under the new general surrender requirement.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the unlawful activities section to retain the requirement for individuals to answer pertinent questions from commission officers regarding the killing or wounding of game or wildlife.

Floor votes · Senate May 5, 2025 · House Jun 26, 2025

How they voted

500
Passed
Total votes 50
May 5, 2025
D Democratic23
23 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican27
27 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
8
Committee
8
Jun 30, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House amendments
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Re-reported on concurrence, as committed
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules & Executive Nominations
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
Jun 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
Jun 25, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
lower
Jun 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
May 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Game & Fisheries
lower
May 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Committee
Referred to Game & Fisheries
upper
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors