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House approves bill giving state authority to protect terrestrial insects, sparking job-impact concerns
Summary
House Bill 441 would amend the Wild Resource Conservation Act to give the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources specific authority to protect terrestrial invertebrates; the measure passed the House 102–101 after floor debate.
On Oct. 6, 2025, the Pennsylvania House approved House Bill 441, which would amend the Wild Resource Conservation Act of 1982 to give the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) explicit authority over terrestrial invertebrates, including endangered pollinators. The House passed the bill on final passage by a recorded vote of 102 yeas to 101 nays.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Paoli, described steep declines in pollinator and insect populations and argued that state authority would allow earlier recovery actions, access to federal conservation funds, and better protection for species before federal Endangered Species Act intervention. He said Pennsylvania’s agriculture benefits from insect pollination and cited figures, including an annual benefit of more than $250 million to Pennsylvania agriculture.
Representative Topper opposed the bill on the floor, saying he appreciated the intent but warned that expanding authority could harm jobs, and he urged a no vote. The roll call resulted in a narrow passage.
The House clerk recorded the yeas as 102 and the nays as 101; the bill will be returned to the Senate for concurrence. Supporters said the bill would not “delay or shut down projects” and framed it as preserving the Commonwealth’s ecological resources and enabling access to federal conservation funding.
