STATUS: The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Finance Committee on February 19th. Shortly after, we met with Finance Committee Chairman Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) to request a committee vote as soon as possible. It was put on a temporary hold as a result of COVID-19. But in June, we were finally able to get the bill on the committee agenda, where it passed with a unanimous vote. It is now waiting for consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Then it will go to the full Senate for a floor vote. Once it successfully passes out of the Senate, it will be sent over to the House of Representatives for their consideration. We are strongly advocating for this bill to get onto the Governor’s desk and across the finish line this fall. Grassroots efforts continue to be important. Deer farmers should reconnect with their legislators via email or phone call and voice their support. We always emphasize that legislators prefer to hear directly from their constituents. Please feel free to reference PDFA’s letter of support for some talking points.
HB 2422 of 2019 This bill was introduced last session. It essentially placed deer farms under the authority of the Game Commission instead of the Department of Agriculture. Fortunately, the bill wasn’t considered by the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and effectively died at the end of last session. However, we continue to monitor for the introduction of similar language this session. Attached please find a full listing of bills we are tracking for the association. Keep in mind, all bills have until November 30th to be passed into law. Otherwise, they will have to be reintroduced next session. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to continuing to work with your association.
Bylaw Change – Membership Dates Approved In Summer issue, we published a proposed change to our Bylaws. The change to the membership year from a fixed year (June 1st through May 31st), to a more flexible membership year. This Bylaw change was approved on August 20th, 2020 during the August Board Meeting. This will allow for alignment to the capabilities of the software and to how and when members pay their annual dues. If you have any questions regarding this change, please contact the PDFA Office. 1919
