HB 2554

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3464  PRINTER'S NO.    3581
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2554
                                          Session of
                                            2026
INTRODUCED BY HADDOCK, BURNS, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, MADDEN, INGLIS,
   COOK, PASHINSKI, DALEY AND CIRESI, MAY 28, 2026
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, HOUSE OF
   REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 10, 2026
                               AN ACT
1 Amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania
2    Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
3    Commission, further providing for executive director; and, in
4    Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for director.
5    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7    Section 1.    Section 302(a) of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania
8 Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
9 adding subsections to read:
10 § 302.   Executive director.
11    (a)   Appointment and compensation.--The commission shall
12 appoint [to serve at its pleasure and, with the approval of the    <--
13 Governor, fix the compensation of], by and with the advice and     <--
14 consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate, an
15 executive director who shall be the chief executive officer of
16 the commission and attend to its administrative work and have
17 charge of all activities under the jurisdiction of the
18 commission. The executive director shall be the chief waterways
1 patrolman of the commission and shall have charge of, direct,
2 supervise, and control all waterways patrolmen, deputy waterways
3 patrolmen and employees of the commission. No member of the
4 commission nor any person who has served as a member thereof
5 within one year shall be eligible for appointment as executive
6 director. If a vacancy occurs in the office of executive
7 director, the commission shall conduct the following before
8 appointing an executive director:
9(1)    Develop a job description for the position, which
10    shall include the requirement that an individual applying to
11    serve as executive director have executive experience and
12    that the individual be well informed on the subjects of
13    conservation, restoration, budgeting, facilities management,
14    human resource management, fish and fishing and boats and
15    boating.
16(2)    Transmit notice of the vacancy to the Legislative
17    Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue
18    of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and post notice of the vacancy
19    on the commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
20(3)    Conduct a competitive, national search for qualified
21    candidates.
22    (a.1)   Acting executive director.--If a vacancy occurs in the
23 office of executive director, the commission may select an
24 individual to serve at the pleasure of the commission as acting
25 executive director for no more than two consecutive three-month
26 periods before appointing an individual as provided under
27 subsection (a). An individual serving as acting executive
28 director may apply to fill the vacancy in the office of
29 executive director.
30    (a.2)   Compensation.--The commission shall, with the approval
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1 of the Governor, fix the compensation of the executive director.
2    * * *
3    Section 2.    Section 302(a) of Title 34 is amended and the
4 section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
5 § 302.   Director.
6    (a)   Appointment.--The commission shall [select] appoint a        <--
7 director[.] by and with the advice and consent of a majority of       <--
8 the members of the Senate. No member of the commission nor
9 anyone who has served as a member of the commission within one
10 year after service shall be eligible for [selection] appointment <--
11 as director. [The director shall serve as such at the pleasure        <--
12 of the commission.] If a vacancy occurs in the office of  <--
13 director, the commission shall conduct the following before
14 appointing a director:
15(1)   Develop a job description for the position, which
16    shall include the requirement that an individual applying to
17    serve as director have executive experience and that the
18    individual be well informed on the subjects of land
19    management, human resource management, budgeting, wildlife
20    conservation and restoration.
21(2)   Transmit notice of the vacancy to the Legislative
22    Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue
23    of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and post notice of the vacancy
24    on the commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
25(3)   Conduct a competitive, national search for qualified
26    candidates.
27    (a.1)   Acting director.--If a vacancy occurs in the office of
28 director, the commission may select an individual to serve at
29 the pleasure of the commission as acting director for no more
30 than two consecutive three-month periods before appointing an
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1 individual as provided under subsection (a). An individual
2 serving as acting director may apply to fill the vacancy in the
3 office of director.
4    * * *
5    Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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