An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for organization of commission, providing for prohibition and further providing for accountability; in hunting and furtaking, repealing provisions relating to hunting on Sunday prohibited, providing for temporary Sunday hunting authorized and for hunting and training on Sunday, repealing provisions relating to trespass on private property while hunting and to hunting on Sunday without written permission, providing for the offense of trespass on private land while hunting or furtaking and for the offense of hunting, trapping or taking game or wildlife without written permission and further providing for training dogs on small game; in special licenses and permits, further providing for field dog trials; imposing penalties; and making an editorial change.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Amen Brown and 10 co-sponsors

Pennsylvania bill permits Sunday hunting (previously banned) and clarifies trespass laws for hunters on private land, expanding hunting opportunity while imposing stricter permission requirements.

Referred to Game & Fisheries

Legislative bill overview

HB 851 amends Pennsylvania's hunting laws to permit Sunday hunting (previously prohibited), clarifies trespass and permission requirements for hunting on private land, and reorganizes provisions related to Game Commission accountability and dog training regulations. The bill repeals the outright Sunday hunting ban and replaces it with authorized Sunday hunting under specified conditions.

Why is this important

Sunday hunting expansion could significantly increase hunting opportunity and participation in Pennsylvania, potentially affecting wildlife management, rural landowner relations, and recreational access. The bill also tightens legal definitions around trespass and permission requirements, which impacts both hunters' liability and landowners' property rights protections.

Potential points of contention

Hunting pressure and wildlife management: Expanding hunting days may increase harvest pressure on game populations; wildlife biologists and conservation groups may debate whether current populations sustain additional hunting pressure

Landowner concerns: New trespass language and permission requirements could create disputes over what constitutes proper authorization and enforcement on private property

Religious and cultural considerations: Sunday hunting historically faced resistance from communities observing the Sabbath; some may view the change as secular overreach while others see it as modernizing recreational access

Implementation details: The bill's reference to "further providing" and "authorized temporary Sunday hunting" suggests conditional language not fully detailed here; actual hunting dates, seasons, and region-specific rules remain unclear from this summary