September 28, 2026 · GAME AND FISHERIES · 1,900 words · 13 speakers · 32 segments
Thank you. No. Good morning, everyone. I'd like to call this meeting of the House Game and Fisheries Committee to order. Erin, please take the roll.
Chair Kulik. Here.
Rep. Davidson. Designation here.
Rep. Doherty. designation here rep Gungan our designation here rep Gantz designation here rep Haddock rep Harris designation here rep Holmstein here rep Inglis designation here rep Kazim designation here rep Mirski rep Resnick designation here rep still designation here rep young designation here chair Maloney here rep Anderson designation rep Banta designation rep cook rep Devan so designation rep Kerwin designation rep Kuzma designation rep labs virtual here
Rep. Olsummer. Here.
Rep. Reichert. Designation.
Rep. Smith. Designation.
And Rep. Whitling. Designation.
We have a quorum. Thank you. I think we can get through this meeting pretty quickly. The chair calls up House Bill 2782, printer's number 3894 from Representative Haddock. Paul, please read a summary.
This legislation would amend Title 30 Fish and Title 34 Game of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to provide that video recordings and live stream broadcast of all commission meetings be posted on the internet websites of both the Pennsylvania Fishing Boat Commission and the Pennsylvania Game Commission or a widely accessible recognized third-party video platform.
Thank you. The question is, will the committee report the bill on that? Representative Haddock, do you have any comments?
Yes. Thank you, Chair Kulik. Thank you, Chair Maloney, for the opportunity to introduce House Bill 2782, video and live stream taping of Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission meetings. For the sake of transparency, it is important that all Pennsylvania sportsmen and sportswomen have easy access to the matters discussed at the meetings of the commissions that govern their sports and the Commonwealth's wildlife and national resources. Currently Pennsylvania law does not require the Pennsylvania Game Commission or the Pennsylvania Boat Commission to provide public access to video and live stream recording of the Commission meetings Thus there is a need to establish this practice into law to ensure both commissions provide this valuable information to the public Currently, one of our commissions posts, the other does not. With that in mind, I have introduced House Bill 2782 to ensure that videotape recordings and live stream broadcasts of all Commission meetings be posted on the Internet websites of both the PGC and the PFBC or widely accessible, organized third party video platforms. This will ensure that the public has ready access to what has transpired during these meetings. Assuring transparency in the workings of these commissions is paramount to the public's understanding of the processes used in making important decisions that directly affect Pennsylvania's hunters, trappers, and anglers. With this information readily at hand, our sportsmen and sportswomen can have a handle on the decisions that govern their sports that they enjoy so much. I thank you for your consideration in this important legislation.
Thank you, Rep Paddock. Do any of the members have any comments? Chair Maloney?
Yes, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I certainly support this. This has been discussed in great concern over the past. It's sort of troubling that we have to put in statute something that you would think that was being taken care of just for transparency. But transparency has seemed to be such a problem today, but we certainly support this, and it would be good for all to have accountability. So thank you, and I'll be a yes.
Thank you, Chair, for that great support. Yeah, thank you. I agree. It should be something that is just done, but we're going to see if we can get this through during this session. I appreciate all the comments. I assume there are no negatives. So we're good. Okay. All right. So we have some more reps walking in. Thank you all for coming. Okay. Are there any negative votes? Hearing none. This resolution passes. Oh, I'm sorry. I forget. I am sorry. I know we have two resolutions coming up. This bill passes. Next one. Rep. Arminini, you want to come on up? The chair calls up House Resolution 610, printers number 3864, from Representative Arminini. Griffin, will you please read a summary of the resolution?
Thank you, Chair. House Resolution 610 recognizes September 26 2026 as National Hunting and Fishing Day in Pennsylvania The question is will the committee report the resolution
On that, Representative Armanini, would you like to make comments?
Yes, thank you, Chair Kulik and Chair Maloney and everyone on the Fish and Game Committee. I thank you for your time with this resolution. Of course, Pennsylvania has a proud hunting and fishing tradition. and this resolution 610 recognizes September 26, 2026, is National Hunting and Fishing Day. Sportsmen and women are also some of our most important conservation partners, licensed purchasers and federal excise taxes, help fund wildlife management, fish restoration, habitat, and public assets. Hunting and fishing are important components of our state's heritage. Our outdoor enthusiasts have helped us tremendously with conservation and wildlife management. This is why Pennsylvania has more than 1.1 million licensed anglers and hunters throughout the Commonwealth enjoying our beautiful nature and, of course, supporting hunting. I thank you for the opportunity to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day in House Resolution 610. Thank you.
Thank you, Representative. And thank you. I know you represent our beautiful Elk County, which we had the opportunity to see last week. And yes, it is fantastic. We're going to have a resolution on that coming up next. But thank you for this resolution. But also, you've got a beautiful district.
Yes, I do. I'm blessed with it right now, of course, with the high point of the rut season and the elk, the visitors and everything that is coming into Elk County right now. So it is a magical time, and I am so happy that you were able to come last week and see its beauty. It was perfect. It could not have been a better day up there. No, it was a beautiful night. So thank you so much.
Thank you. Any other comments? Chair Maloney.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Rep. Armanuni. I certainly 100% support and agree with everything that you said, and many of us have touted Pennsylvania for many years about what the sportsmen represent in Pennsylvania. I'll go a little bit further and to say that we know that, yes, last week we may have spotlighted your area, but I have always been a strong advocate of all of Pennsylvania, So I think this resolution makes that very broad and allows us all to understand that we have a lot of resources and a lot of things that should be managed well. And so I think your resolution is well stated. And I would have loved years ago to have passed the constitutional amendment that we had the right to hunt and fish. And so I think this is a good start again to bring that recognition. So thank you.
Thank you. Okay. Are there any negative votes on the resolution? Seeing none, the resolution will be reported as committed. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
The chair calls up House Resolution 624, printers number 3895 from Representative Haddock. Paul, please read a summary of the resolution.
Thank you Chair This resolution would designate October 3rd 2026 as Pennsylvania Elk Hunt Day in Pennsylvania
The question is, will the committee report the resolution on that? Representative Haddock, do you have comments?
Yes, thank you, Chair Kulik. Thank you, Chair Maloney, for the opportunity to introduce House Resolution 624, designating October 3rd, 2026 as Pennsylvania Elk Hunting Day. We passed a very similar resolution last year for the extended season celebrating that day. This resolution this year celebrates the opening day of the main season, October 3rd, 2026. Every year, tens of thousands of Pennsylvania hunters apply for elk hunting license in Pennsylvania, but less than 200 annually are chosen for this great opportunity. Hunters view the chance to elk hunt in Pennsylvania as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with many applying for several years without being selected. This opportunity only is heightened by the history of elk in Pennsylvania, Numerous efforts to bring back elk to the state and provide suitable habitats for these animals were required to allow for this celebrated hunting tradition to come back and take place. That's why I have introduced House Resolution 624, designating October 3, 2026, the opening day of the 2026 first regular elk hunting season as Pennsylvania Elk Hunting Day. This resolution will commemorate both the anniversary of Pennsylvania's first regulated hunt and the 26th anniversary of the restoration of elk hunting in the Commonwealth. I thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Are there any further comments? Chair Maloney.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We will all be supporting this also, and I want to make a couple statements, especially for we had a great segue to the two former votes that we just took before this. And I just want to tell you that it was mentioned a little while ago that we just recently were back up in Elk Country, and we heard some statements that were made by game commission officials And I just want you to know that I'm going to keep today's comments short for very specific reasons. But in the very near future, I will be giving an update on some of the things as to why I think it's important for the transparency, as Rep. Haddock has stated. Many of us have stated. And there are some details that are very troubling. and I think for the sportsmen of Pennsylvania, and I'll include myself, having hunted for more than half a century and taking great pride and determination in wanting to enjoy Pennsylvania, I think there's an opportunity that Pennsylvanians need and I think they need to know the rest of the story. And so I will be presenting very shortly some other details with respect to that and why shining light on this is extremely important. So thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Are there any negative votes on the resolution? Hearing none, the resolution will be reported as committed. Thank you all. This has been a great meeting. We will have another meeting before the end of session, and we'll be sending that out shortly. But I hereby adjourn this meeting. Thank you.
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