On June 24, House Bill 808 (HB 808), legislation that would grant the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) the regulatory authority to set license, permit, and tag fees, received an affirmative concurrence vote (157-44-1) in the House of Representatives.
According to The Fishing Wire, HB 808 is co-sponsored by numerous members of the bipartisan Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. Sent to Governor Tom Wolf for signature, the House passage follows the June 23 approval by the Senate with strong bipartisan support (44-5) on the slightly amended version of the bill.
“The price of fishing licenses in Pennsylvania has not increased in about two decades, thus the current prices are lagging behind inflation,” The Fishing Wire reported, noting “Should Governor Wolf pen his name to this bill, the PFBC will have the authority to implement smaller, more regular increases as needed, rather than going to the legislature and asking its permission to raise prices.”
The latter often results in a larger jump in price that negatively impacts angler participation according to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), a group which has been advocating for the passage of this provision for several years, and most recently was party to a sign-on letter to Senate leadership, encouraging swift action on the bill before the legislature goes into summer recess.
The CSF letter, co-signed by numerous other organizations including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Fly Fishers International and the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen and Conservationists, said PFBC as an independent state agency primarily funded by fishing license fees and boat registrations, has as its mission to “protect, enhance, and conserve” our Commonwealth’s 86,000 miles of rivers and streams and nearly 4,000 lakes.
“To fulfill this mission, the agency provides law enforcement and safety services, fish stocking, habitat restoration, and public access benefits to millions of citizens annually,” the letter noted, adding “The PFBC does all of this without receiving revenue from the General Fund, and instead, the agency depends on user fees that have not been adjusted in 16 years.”
“Currently, the PFBC must rely on legislation for each user fee increase, this process has led to sudden and significant fee increases, resulting in declines in license and permit sales,” the CSF group letter noted.
The supporting organizations say the new legislation will uphold the General Assembly’s oversight on proposed fee increases and will provide the opportunity for public comment. The Senate and House Fish and Game Committees will maintain veto power over fee adjustments. The bill also includes a 3-year sunset provision and will expire July 15th, 2022, without reauthorization. If granted this authority, the PFBC has committed to only carrying out incremental increases that will support the agency’s budget while holding down costs for anglers and boaters.
