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Committee approves bill to let Game Commission work with schools on hunting and trapping education
Summary
The committee reported HB 2460 as amended; the bill directs the Pennsylvania Game Commission to consult with the Department of Education to develop age‑appropriate hunting and trapping education for grades 6–12 and allows (rather than requires) reimbursement to school entities for program costs.
Chair Maloney called up House Bill 2460 and the committee reader summarized the measure as directing the Pennsylvania Game Commission to work with the Department of Education to develop an age‑appropriate hunting and trapping education program for students in grades 6 through 12.
Chair Maloney offered Amendment A03162 to change a reimbursement provision from "shall reimburse" to "may reimburse." The chair signaled support for that change and members accepted the amendment without a recorded roll call. Representative Steele described the program as a way to connect children to conservation, outdoor safety and firearm handling, calling it "transformative" based on similar programs elsewhere.
Members debated whether the measure duplicated existing resources and whether any fees or costs could be imposed on local schools. Chair Maloney said he was concerned about possible costs falling to the Game Fund or school districts and noted long-standing programs already in some schools, citing Trinity as an example. After discussion the committee voted to report HB 2460 as amended; the clerk announced the bill passes and will be reported out of committee for further consideration.
The amendment and the committee's adoption leave implementation details—reimbursement policy, curriculum standards and funding—largely to the Game Commission and the Department of Education to develop.
