Oct. 12, 2023

HARRISBURG – Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks) announced today that the $150 million theft of Pittman-Robertson funds by the state Senate has been rejected by the House, and the Biden administration has reversed course on banning hunter education and archery in our schools.

“On July 28, I issued a press release advising sportsmen and sportswomen that non-elected officials in the Biden administration had interpreted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act as prohibiting hunter education and archery teams in schools across the nation. To enforce this ban, the Biden administration declared it would deny federal funds to any school that continued to offer these programs,” Maloney said.

“I authored the law permitting outside groups to use public school space for hunter safety and education courses. And, as a result of my press release, and sportsmen and sportswomen letting their government know this new ‘interpretation’ of the law was a blatant attack on sportsmen and plainly unconstitutional, a bipartisan bill was rushed through Congress to reverse the decision,” Maloney said. 

“This measure, the bipartisan Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act (H.R. 5110), was spearheaded by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, of which I am a member, and signed into law by Joe Biden on Oct. 6, ensuring that certain federal funds remain available for hunter education, archery in schools, wilderness programs and many other critical student enrichment programs,” continued Maloney. 

“The next piece of good news was the rejection last week by the state House of the Senate’s illegal ‘transfer’ of $150 million in Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGA) funds to the Clean Stream Fund, which I reported in my electronic newsletter on Sept. 8 and posted on my website, www.RepMaloney.com.  

“This attempt to usurp PGA funds was declared illegal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as PGA funds are Pittman-Robertson Act funds and may not be diverted from their dedicated use in any way,” concluded Maloney.

The legislation, which the House amended to remove the Senate money grab, is House Bill 1300, the Fiscal Code, a crucial part of the budget process that has not been completed. Since the House and Senate have now passed different versions of House Bill 1300, there must be a negotiation between the two chambers if Pennsylvania is going to have a constitutional Fiscal Code that directs and controls spending by the Shapiro administration. 



Representative David Maloney
130th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
 
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