Pa. Thermal / NV Law Change Progress

YES agree..Sheri has worked hard for this bill..and supports the PPHA..Shes the most hardest working woman..I've ever seen.
 
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6/18/19
New Update :

Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019

Follow @PALegis on Twitter
 
6/19/19

Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)

Follow @PALegis on Twitter
 
Now that HB1188 has been approved by the House it will go to the Senate and will go through the same steps there. Upon approval it will go to the Governor.
 
6/21/19
Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019

Follow @PALegis on Twitter
 
Update : This bill has stalled since it went to the Senate back in June. Doubt there is any action this year. I have sent Senator Dan Laughlin 2 emails so far trying to get this moving. This means the Game Commission will not see this next spring for any rule changes for 2020 !!!
 
Question here that maybe the OP can answer; EDIT: Nevermind. I just read that it's the electronic devices thing that kills NV/IR scopes for us unlucky Pennsylvanians. The great state of "no you can't do that here".

Title 34 states;

Quote:(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.

and

Quote:(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.

For (1)(i), it's an exception. At least the way I interpret it, it means that a scope/sight's reticle CAN be illuminated.

What I don't understand about (ii) is that IR scopes don't "project or transmit" anything. They RECEIVE light just like any other scope. The only difference w/ thermal & IR scopes is that they filter the incoming light and display the IR spectrum on a display within the scope. IR scopes use an IR emitter which is a separate object from the scope and is basically a flashlight with an IR LED. They only increase the IR light reflected back to the scope from objects in the field of view.

The way the law reads (unless I'm missing the section that bans the IR scopes) it's to prohibit the use of a scope that projects a beam of any kind that would show a POI on the target. That's not what IR scopes do. Again, IR scopes themselves don't emit anything. They only receive light.

I just don't understand how IR scopes are illegal based on the law. Is this just a misunderstanding on how the scopes work by the PAGC?
 
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Any device that projects a beam outside the scope. That’s the ir light attached which projects a light, seems pretty clear. Just have to use gen 3.
 
I use a Vortex hoghunter crossfire scope that has an illuminated adjustable red dot in the crosshairs. I have 2 of them and love them vortex has other models with this feature also.


I have been trying to get some movement out of the Senator on this bill which they thought would take place in the recent past but it is still sitting idle at this time. Will update this again when they start it moving in the Senate, soon we hope ! I get notifications on which bills they are working with.
 
Pennsylvania Hunters : House Bill 1188
Law change for Thermal & Night Vision
PLEASE CONTACT SENATOR LAUGHLIN’S office and ask to move this bill forward in the State Senate !!! Has had no movement in almost 11 months !

House Bill 1188 was moved to the Pa. State Senate:

Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019

Senator Dan Laughlin / chairman
Harrisburg Office
Senate Box 203049
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3049
Telephone: 717-787-8927
TTY: 800-364-1581 District Office
‪1314 Griswold Plaza‬
‪Suite 101‬
‪Erie, PA 16501‬
Telephone: 814-453-251
 
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After a conversation with State Representative Parke Wentling, he in turn contacted Senator Dan Laughlin’s office and we have an update :

Updates for: HB1188

Upcoming Meetings
GAME AND FISHERIES (S)
05/27/2020
11:00 AM
(to consider Senate Bill No. 1074; and House Bills No. 1003, 1185, 1188 and 1584) Senate Chamber
(LIVE STREAMED)
 
Legislative Actions New Action 5/27/20
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 27, 2020
First consideration, May 27, 2020
 

Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action 6/8/20
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 27, 2020
First consideration, May 27, 2020
Second consideration, June 8, 2020
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, June 8, 2020
 
Friday, June 19, 2020 2019-2020 Regular Session

IMPORTANT: Emails are generated hourly and include all data input at the time the email is generated.

Updates for: HB1188

Upcoming Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS (S)
06/22/2020
Off the Floor
(to consider Senate Bills No. 85, 655 and 1188; and House Bills No. 364, 808, 1003, 1185, 1188, 1538, 1710, 1796 and 2418) Senate Chamber
(LIVE STREAMED)
 
Monday, June 22, 2020 2019-2020 Regular Session

IMPORTANT: Emails are generated hourly and include all data input at the time the email is generated.

Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 27, 2020
First consideration, May 27, 2020
Second consideration, June 8, 2020
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, June 8, 2020
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 22, 2020

Follow @PALegis on Twitter
 
Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 27, 2020
First consideration, May 27, 2020
Second consideration, June 8, 2020
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, June 8, 2020
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 22, 2020
Third consideration and final passage, June 23, 2020 (48-1)
 
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Updates for: HB1188

Updates for: HB1188

Legislative Actions New Action
HB 1188

View Text
View Memo
WENTLING - An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for unlawful devices and method...
Memo: Amending the PA Game and Wildlife Code to remove restrictions on the use of thermal and night vision equipment for hunting. (Prior HB 2648)
PN 1385 Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, April 11, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 14, 2019
First consideration, May 14, 2019
Laid on the table, May 14, 2019
Removed from table, June 17, 2019
Second consideration, June 18, 2019
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 18, 2019
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 19, 2019
Third consideration and final passage, June 19, 2019 (195-5)
In the Senate
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, June 21, 2019
Reported as committed from GAME AND FISHERIES, May 27, 2020
First consideration, May 27, 2020
Second consideration, June 8, 2020
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, June 8, 2020
Re-reported as committed from APPROPRIATIONS, June 22, 2020
Third consideration and final passage, June 23, 2020 (48-1)
Signed in House, June 24, 2020
Signed in Senate, June 24, 2020
Presented to the Governor, June 24, 2020
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