THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY SONNEY, BEYER, CAUSER, CUTLER, DENLINGER, FLECK, GEIST, GIBBONS, GROVE, HARRIS, HESS, HORNAMAN, KORTZ, METCALFE, MILNE, MURT, RAPP, ROHRER AND STEVENSON, FEBRUARY 27, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, FEBRUARY 27, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, further providing for unlawful devices and methods.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2308(b) of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 2308.  Unlawful devices and methods.

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(b)  Exceptions.--The provisions of subsection (a) shall not

apply to:

(1)  (i)  Any archery sight or firearm's scope which

contains and uses any mechanical, photoelectric,

ultraviolet or solar-powered device to solely illuminate

the sight or crosshairs within the scope.

(ii)  Except as otherwise provided under subparagraph

(iii), no archery sight or firearm's scope shall contain

or use any device, no matter how powered, to project or

transmit any light beam, infrared beam, ultraviolet light

beam, radio beam, thermal beam, ultrasonic beam, particle

beam or other beam outside the sight or scope onto the

target.

(iii)  (A)  A flashlight or spotlight may be mounted

on a firearm to take furbearers if the sole source of

power for the flashlight or spotlight is contained

within the flashlight or spotlight or on the person.

(B)  For the purposes of this subparagraph, a

flashlight or spotlight mounted on a firearm shall

not include a device that projects a beam of laser

light to indicate the intended point of impact for

one or more projectiles discharged from the firearm.

(2)  (i)  Any political subdivision, its employees or

agents, which has a valid deer control permit issued

under section 2902(c) (relating to general categories of

permits).

(ii)  Any licensed hunter in cities of the first

class, while hunting on private property and using a bow

and arrow or crossbow, using bait to attract deer for

removal as provided by commission regulations.

(iii)  Any licensed hunter in special regulation

areas, other than counties of the second class, using

bait to attract deer for removal as provided by

commission regulations.

(3)  Any artificial or manufactured turkey blind

consisting of all manmade materials of sufficient density to

block the detection of movement within the blind from an

observer located outside of the blind.

(4)  Any natural or manmade nonliving bait used to

attract coyotes for hunting or trapping.

(5)  Any electronic or mechanical device used to attract

coyotes for hunting or trapping.

(6)  Any decoy used in the trapping or hunting of

furbearers.

(7)  Any semiautomatic rimfire rifle, .22 caliber or

less, for the taking of coyotes, foxes or woodchucks.

* * *

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.