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House approves bill expanding state authority to protect terrestrial invertebrates
Summary
House Bill 441, which would amend the Wild Resource Conservation Act to give the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) explicit authority over certain terrestrial invertebrates, passed the House on Oct. 7, 2025 after floor debate about environmental protection and regulatory impact.
The House of Representatives on Oct. 7, 2025, passed House Bill 441, a bill that would amend the Wild Resource Conservation Act of 1982 to give Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources explicit authority to conserve and protect terrestrial invertebrates, including species currently listed under federal endangered-species protections.
Sponsor Representative Paoli argued the measure would let Pennsylvania act sooner to recover imperiled insect species and help the Commonwealth access federal conservation funds. "Native invertebrates provide many ecosystem services, including pollination, seed dispersal, natural pest control, nutrient cycling, and food for other organisms that we all rely on," Paoli said.
Paoli noted widespread scientific concerns about insect declines, cited an estimated more-than-90% decline in certain monarch populations since the 1990s, and said that Pennsylvania agriculture benefits materially from insect pollination. He described the bill as a way for the Commonwealth to reclaim authority rather than wait for federal action.
Representative Topper, the House Republican leader, cautioned that expanding Department of Environmental Protection or related agencies’ authority could harm jobs in the Commonwealth and urged a no vote. The clerk recorded the final passage tally as 102 yeas and 101 nays.
The bill would allow DCNR to pursue state-level recovery actions earlier than relying solely on federal listings under the Endangered Species Act, and—according to Paoli’s floor remarks—would improve Pennsylvania’s ability to apply for federal conservation grants and programs. Paoli said the bill would not "delay or shut down projects," characterizing it as a corrective to a statutory gap that limited state action.
On final passage the House agreed to the bill; the clerk announced that the bill passed and would be returned to the Senate for concurrence. The House record includes explicit references to the Wild Resource Conservation Act of 1982, the federal Endangered Species Act, and Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution (the right to a clean and healthful environment) in the sponsor’s remarks.
The measure drew a closely divided vote and likely will prompt follow-up from conservation stakeholders, DCNR, and project proponents seeking clarity on implementation and any effects on permitting or land-use decisions.
