Pa. bill OK'd to end back-tag mandate for hunters

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The requirement that Pennsylvania hunters wear back tags will soon be a thing of the past.

The state Senate on Tuesday passed the repeal by a vote of 46 to 3.

The sponsor, York Republican Rep. Keith Gillespie, says 48 other states have done away with the mandate. He calls it an outdated inconvenience.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission supports the change, saying hunters sometimes lose their licenses as they walk through thick underbrush.

The state’s hunting licenses were redesigned a few years ago, making them easier to store in a wallet.

The bill is on Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk and his office says he intends to sign it into law.