CAMP HILL – Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is pleased to see that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 131-72 in favor of House Bill 1431, which offers meaningful reforms for farmers to fight crop damage. The bill passed the House with large bipartisan support.
House Bill 1431, introduced by Representative Mandy Steele, is especially important for farmers who continue to face significant crop damage and financial burdens caused by the overpopulation of deer in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Farm Bureau also fully supports Senate Bill 67, companion legislation to House Bill 1431, introduced by Senator Dan Laughlin.
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau urges the Senate to quickly take up this important legislation to allow farmers to receive critical tools to combat crop damage.
The bill simplifies the reporting process for crop damage harvest and streamlines carcass handling requirements, which reduces the regulatory burden on farmers by enabling them to spend more time and resources on their day-to-day farming operations. The bill also includes increased trespassing penalties and ensures farmers are represented on the Pennsylvania Game Commission Board by requiring one member of the board to be an individual who is actively engaged in agriculture and understands the critical intersection of agriculture and wildlife management.
Additionally, the bill fully repeals Pennsylvania’s Sunday hunting ban, expanding opportunities for hunters while preserving important protections for landowners through clear written permission requirements.
“Pennsylvania Farm Bureau proudly supports House Bill 1431, a key piece of legislation developed in collaboration between wildlife groups and the agricultural community to improve wildlife management and address deer overpopulation,” said Chris Hoffman, President of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “These measures will help farmers better control deer populations, protect their crops, and support the long-term sustainability of agriculture in our state.”
This legislation benefits both the agricultural and hunting communities and is a direct result of ongoing collaboration by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and other industry stakeholders. House Bill 1431 is a positive step toward modernizing state wildlife policy as farmers continue to face rising input costs and increasing amounts of crop damage.
“Delegates representing Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members voted to remove their opposition to Sunday hunting in 2023, contingent upon the implementation of significant statutory and regulatory changes addressing crop damage from wildlife and hunting management on farmland,” said Andy Bater, PFB State Board Director and chairman of PFB’s Wildlife and Fisheries Committee. “This policy shift has fostered unprecedented collaborative efforts between Farm Bureau, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and statewide hunting organizations.”
USDA estimates from federal crop insurance data that Pennsylvania suffered north of $20 million in losses on corn in 2017 – the highest reported number in the nation. That same study showed that Pennsylvania farmers suffered north of $15 million in losses to soybean crops in 2017.
Even off the farm, it’s hard to drive anywhere in the rural parts of Pennsylvania and not pass a deer carcass on the side of the road, as the number of car accidents directly tied to deer are rapidly growing across the Commonwealth.
A national study conducted by State Farm Insurance Company reported that 1.8 million auto insurance claims were filed nationwide between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Of those claims 153,397 claims came from Pennsylvanians – the highest number in the nation. That same study noted that Pennsylvania drivers had a 1 in 59 chance of getting into an accident involving wildlife – the third highest mark in the country.
PennDOT data from 2024 shows that there were 6,421 accidents in the state that were directly or indirectly caused by deer. At least 1,503 people were injured and 19 people were killed in those crashes.
-30-
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is the state’s largest farm organization, representing farms of every size and commodity across Pennsylvania.