Committee backs bill letting out-of-state college students buy Pennsylvania hunting licenses at resident rate

House Bill 1507, which would allow out-of-state college students residing in Pennsylvania to purchase hunting licenses at the Pennsylvania resident rate, was reported out of the House Game and Fishery Committee after the chair called for negative votes and none were raised.

Representative Steele, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure “aims to stop the decades long decline in hunting participation in Pennsylvania and across the nation.” Steele said many college students live on tight budgets and that permitting nonresident students to buy resident-priced licenses could “remove a financial barrier” and encourage participation in hunting.

Representative Maloney attempted to introduce an amendment to extend resident-rate treatment to property owners who’ve left the state, but the amendment was declared not timely filed under House Rule 3(c) and a subsequent motion to suspend the rules to consider it failed on a roll-call vote. After the rule-suspension motion failed, the committee proceeded to consider the bill itself; the chair asked whether there were any negative votes and, hearing none, announced the bill would be reported from committee.

The bill summary read to the committee states the legislation “would provide out of state college students residing in Pennsylvania with the ability to purchase hunting licenses at a resident rate.” The transcript contains no fiscal estimates or statutory cross-references beyond that summary and does not specify whether the student must be enrolled full time or provide documentation; those implementation details are not specified in the committee record.