Take Action! Contact Pennsylvania Senate Majority Floor Leader, Jake Corman’s office at (717) 787-1377. Sen. Corman is a supporter of mentored hunting. Let Sen. Corman’s office know that Pennsylvania is the only mentored hunting state in the country that bans middle school and high school kids from hunting under the supervision of an experienced mentor. Ask Sen. Corman to vote on House Bill 1452 this week.
As the Pennsylvania legislature winds up its work before summer recess, one important sportsmen’s priority on the brink of approval remains in limbo. Pennsylvania became the first state to approve mentored hunting for young kids in 2006. In 2013, it approved mentored hunting for adults. But a drafting disagreement in Pennsylvania law left one important group of people out – teenagers. Currently, kids ages 12-17 are not permitted to participate in the state’s highly successful mentored hunting program.
To address this mistake, the Senate Game and Fish Chairman Mario Scavello and House Chairman Keith Gillespie agreed to amend House Bill 1452, which was rapidly moving through the legislature, to include the fix for middle school and high school kids. HB 1452, which has already passed the House, also provides discount licenses to trapper education teachers.
Unfortunately, the legislature is entering its final week of summer session with the bill still in the Senate Appropriations Committee awaiting approval. With the legislature concentrating heavily on the state budget, senate leaders could use a reminder that House Bill 1452 is a top priority of sportsmen, and a non-controversial bill.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.