Pennsylvania Bill Limits Landowner Liability for Hunting Violations
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.10.12
It will be relieving for landowners in Pennsylvania to hear that they are one step closer to not being liable for the irresponsible actions of hunters they have allowed on their property.
On Monday May 7, the Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation that would limit the liability of landowners who allow hunting on their property.
Senate Bill 1403, introduced by Sen. Richard Alloway II, R-Franklin/Adams/York, would protect landowners from legal action taken against for Game Code violations committed by hunters who were previously authorized to use the landowner’s property.
“We should be encouraging farmers and land owners to open their land to hunting and other recreational purposes instead of threatening them with legal consequences for the actions of others,” said Alloway, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee, in a statement on Alloway’s office website.
Under the current law, landowners could be legally held responsible for violations not their own. If a hunter takes an animal out of season on the landowner’s land, the owner may face a legal backlash.
The new bill doesn’t make landowners completely immune, however. If a property owner receives a fee, payment or gratuity from the hunter in exchange for permission, the landowner could still be held responsible for violations.
Senate Bill 1403 was sent to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration.
