An Act amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, further providing for executive director; and, in Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for director.

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
Amending Titles 30 (Fish) and 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission, further providing for executive director; and, in
Pennsylvania Game Commission, further providing for director.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 302(a) of Title 30 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
adding subsections to read:
§ 302. Executive director.
(a) Appointment and compensation.--The commission shall
appoint [to serve at its pleasure and, with the approval of the
Governor, fix the compensation of], by and with the advice and
consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate, an
executive director who shall be the chief executive officer of
the commission and attend to its administrative work and have
charge of all activities under the jurisdiction of the
commission. The executive director shall be the chief waterways
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patrolman of the commission and shall have charge of, direct,
supervise, and control all waterways patrolmen, deputy waterways
patrolmen and employees of the commission. No member of the
commission nor any person who has served as a member thereof
within one year shall be eligible for appointment as executive
director. If a vacancy occurs in the office of executive
director, the commission shall conduct the following before
appointing an executive director:
(1) Develop a job description for the position, which
shall include the requirement that an individual applying to
serve as executive director have executive experience and
that the individual be well informed on the subjects of
conservation, restoration, budgeting, facilities management,
human resource management, fish and fishing and boats and
boating.
(2) Transmit notice of the vacancy to the Legislative
Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue
of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and post notice of the vacancy
on the commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
(3) Conduct a competitive, national search for qualified
candidates.
(a.1) Acting executive director.--If a vacancy occurs in the
office of executive director, the commission may select an
individual to serve at the pleasure of the commission as acting
executive director for no more than two consecutive three-month
periods before appointing an individual as provided under
subsection (a). An individual serving as acting executive
director may apply to fill the vacancy in the office of
executive director.
(a.2) Compensation.--The commission shall, with the approval
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of the Governor, fix the compensation of the executive director.
* * *
Section 2. Section 302(a) of Title 34 is amended and the
section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 302. Director.
(a) Appointment.--The commission shall [select] appoint a
director[.] by and with the advice and consent of a majority of
the members of the Senate. No member of the commission nor
anyone who has served as a member of the commission within one
year after service shall be eligible for [selection] appointment
as director. [The director shall serve as such at the pleasure
of the commission.] If a vacancy occurs in the office of
director, the commission shall conduct the following before
appointing a director:
(1) Develop a job description for the position, which
shall include the requirement that an individual applying to
serve as director have executive experience and that the
individual be well informed on the subjects of land
management, human resource management, budgeting, wildlife
conservation and restoration.
(2) Transmit notice of the vacancy to the Legislative
Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue
of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and post notice of the vacancy
on the commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
(3) Conduct a competitive, national search for qualified
candidates.
(a.1) Acting director.--If a vacancy occurs in the office of
director, the commission may select an individual to serve at
the pleasure of the commission as acting director for no more
than two consecutive three-month periods before appointing an
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individual as provided under subsection (a). An individual
serving as acting director may apply to fill the vacancy in the
office of director.
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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