Why It Matters: The number one reason that lapsed hunters give when asked why they no longer hunt, is the lack of access. Currently, in Pennsylvania, there are only three (3) Sundays in which you may hunt game and there are very limited species that can be targeted. Senate Bill 67 (SB 67), sponsored by Sen. Daniel Laughlin (previous Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair and current Caucus Member), seeks to remove the legislative grant the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) the authority to regulate Sunday hunting as they deem appropriate. SB 67 passed out of the House Game & Fisheries Committee on a 15-to-10 vote on Tuesday, October 1st, and is now awaiting to be heard for second consideration on the House Floor.
Highlights:
- In 2020, then Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair, Sen. Daniel Laughlin championed Senate Bill 147 (SB 147) which was signed into law by Governor Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair (at the time) Governor Tom Wolf.
- SB 147 allowed the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to authorize one day of deer hunting on Sundays during the archery season, one day of deer hunting during the firearms season, and one day left to the discretion of the PGC for species determined by them, which through rulemaking was selected to be bear hunting during the bear firearms season. Crows, fox, and coyotes may be hunted during Sundays within their regulated seasons. Other species that are in season (except turkeys and migratory game birds) may also be hunted during these three established Sunday hunting dates decided by the PGC.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted written testimony and attended the hearing at the House Game & Fisheries Committee on October 1st, to support the monumental passage of this legislation out of Committee.
The two most beneficial pieces of SB 67 to hunters are the provisions which will authorize the PGC to establish Sunday hunting within the confines of the regulated hunting seasons and the ability access private lands through the agricultural access permit. Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance. At the time when blue law restrictions were first put in place, other activities that were illegal on a Sunday included opening a store for business, drinking alcoholic beverages, and tilling your fields. Access is a major limiting factor hindering participation in hunting, and restrictions on Sunday hunting create a temporal access barrier for youth and others that work or attend school throughout the week and are often involved in extra-curricular activities on Saturdays.
Moving forward, CSF encourages the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to swiftly take up and pass SB 67 finally remove the remaining longstanding and antiquated Sunday hunting prohibitions within the Keystone State. The passage of SB 67 will not automatically institute Sunday hunting but will authorize the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to do so through their regulatory authority. Beyond bill passage, CSF will continue to work with the PGC to encourage that Sunday hunting is instituted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
