To foster conservation, promote an understanding of wildlife management, and encourage current and future generations to safely participate in Pennsylvania’s rich outdoor heritage, it is crucial that hunting and trapping education be offered in schools. Educating the youth of the Commonwealth in the proper methods and practices associated with these endeavors will produce safe, responsible, knowledgeable, and involved hunters and trappers.
 
As such, I plan to introduce legislation in conjunction with Representative Anita Astorino Kulik, Majority Chair of the House Game and Fisheries Committee that would provide that the Pennsylvania Department of Education work in consultation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to develop an age-appropriate hunting and trapping education program. This program would include firearm safety instruction for students in grades six through twelve. The firearm safety instruction would be required to comply with the firearm safety training requirements of the commission's basic hunter-trapper education course and be taught by an individual who is a certified firearm safety trainer for the PGC. However, it is important to note that firearms and ammunition may not be brought into a school building as part of the firearm safety instruction of this program.
 
Currently, under the PGC’s basic hunting and trapping education course which is required in order to obtain a hunting license, participants are taught the ethics of responsible hunting behavior, basic firearm safety, basic shooting skills, wildlife management, basic firearm and archery hunting techniques, outdoor preparedness, and fur-taking (trapping) basics. 
 
Under this legislation, a school entity may provide a Department of Education and PGC approved hunting and trapping education program as an optional extracurricular class, or as part of an existing course for the purpose of outdoor recreational activity. In addition, any student who completes the program would be deemed as having completed the commission's basic hunter-trapper education course that is required to obtain a hunting license under state law.
 
Please join me in support of this important legislation to continue building on Pennsylvania’s rich outdoor heritage as we look to the future.