After a decade and a half of dedicated engagement by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), hunters will soon have new opportunities thanks to the recent passage of, not one, but two CSF-priority bills that remove, or nearly remove all remaining statutory prohibitions on Sunday hunting in both Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

CSF has long been a leading advocate for all sporting-conservation policy issues across the nation, working with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus on Capitol Hill, the bipartisan Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, and individual state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses in all 50 states through the bipartisan National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. Specific to these most recent victories, CSF has had the distinct honor and privilege of working alongside and supporting the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Connecticut Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus in removing the remaining antiquated Sunday hunting prohibitions within each state.

“The back-to-back wins in both Connecticut and Pennsylvania open the door for new Sunday hunting opportunities on nearly 30 million acres,” said Brent Miller, Vice President of Policy for CSF. “These recent victories add to an unquestionable record of success on this issue between CSF and the state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses we support – a record which now includes more than 20 pro-Sunday hunting bills being enacted in 9 states over the last 11 years. Moving forward, we will continue the fight in the increasingly fewer states that still have these draconian restrictions in place until all remaining Sunday hunting bans are a thing of the past.”

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania House Bill 1431 (introduced by Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Rep. Mandy Steele) removes the Commonwealth’s Sunday hunting prohibitions and, just moments ago, was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. By lifting all the remaining statutory prohibitions through the enactment of HB 1431, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) will now have the full authority to establish and regulate season dates, bag limits and enforcement for the hunting of all game species in the Commonwealth on Sundays.

Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Member, Rep. Mandy Steele, was the primary sponsor of HB 1431, with a sister bill in the Senate (Senate Bill 67) sponsored by longtime Caucus Member and past Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Dan Laughlin – a true Sunday hunting champion, who helped lay the groundwork for this monumental legislation.

“This new law totally repeals the prohibition on Sunday hunting, which marks a truly historic win for the current and future generation of Pennsylvania hunters,” said Representative Steele. “Hunters have been working on this issue for decades, to allow them more time in the woods, and it’s been an honor to lead on this issue. Families are busier than ever, work and social schedules are demanding as ever, and this new law provides more opportunity for hunters to participate in one of America’s oldest traditions and be on the front line of conservation here in the Keystone State.”

"Bipartisan collaboration and compromise is the shortest path to success, and I’m happy to have partnered with Representative Steele to get this important legislation finally passed,” said Senator Laughlin. “Many thanks should also go to Chairman Rothman and Chairwoman Kulik for their help as well.”

Connecticut

In Connecticut, House Bill 7231 (HB 7231) was also signed into law less than 24 hours ago. For the first time in over a century, most hunting opportunities will soon be available on Sundays during regulated seasons on private land in the Constitution State. This tremendous milestone was driven by CSF, alongside the Connecticut Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and in-state partners. The hunting of migratory birds, and deer hunting with firearms on property with fewer than 10 acres will remain prohibited on Sundays, and archery deer hunting on private land (regardless of acreage) will continue to be available, as was authorized by a CSF and Caucus-driven bill over a decade ago.

"The passage of Sunday hunting represents a thoughtful balance between tradition, landowner rights, and expanding access for Connecticut's hunters,” said Representative Pat Boyd, Co-Chair of the Connecticut Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. “This legislation helps working families who may only have weekends to enjoy the sport responsibly."

"I am pleased that Gov. Lamont signed the Sunday Hunting Bill into law,” said Representative Patrick Callahan, Ranking Member on the Environment Committee. “While I am not a hunter, I respect the rights of those who choose to go to the woods rather than the grocery store to fill their freezers with food. The ban on Sunday hunting was an antiquated blue law, the last in CT, and allowing hunters to enjoy this activity on private land is a right that has now been returned to them. Hunters are conservationists that clean up litter and are the eyes in the environment who are often the people who report issues to DEEP and the Environment Committee in Hartford."

These bipartisan victories are the culmination of years of advocacy and partnership. CSF would specifically like to thank Friends of Connecticut Sportsmen, the Connecticut Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, and the Joint Committee on the Environment for working the issue throughout the legislative process; and Governor Ned Lamont for signing HB 7231 into law. CSF also applauds and thanks Pennsylvania Rep. Steele and Sen. Laughlin, the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Governor Shapiro for supporting the sportsmen and women of the Commonwealth through the enactment of HB 1431.

CSF strongly supports the expansion of Sunday hunting opportunities to increase access and opportunity for sportsmen and women and looks forward to now working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as they move forward with implementing Sunday hunting.