HB1639 Hunting on Sundays.
Daniel W. Marshall, III
Summary: Allows hunting on Sunday from noon to one-half hour after sunset.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Set for subcommittee hearing on 1/17/2007 - Passed by indefinitely (PBI) (defeated)

HB1867 Game Wardens.
Rob Wittman, Carrico, Ed Scott (Patron list updated 2/8/2007)
Summary: Replaces the term "game warden" with "conservation police officer" throughout the Code of Virginia.
SUPPORT
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Set for subcommittee hearing on 1/17/2007 - Reported
Set for full committee hearing on 1/24/2007 - Reported 22-0
Passed House 98-0 on 1/29/2007
Referred to Senate Committee ACNR on 1/30/2007
Set for hearing on 2/5/2007 - Reported 12-0
Senate passed 38-0 on 2/7/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 87 (effective 7/1/07) on 02/21/2007

HB2018 Hunting license fees (1/8/2007 update)
James Shuler
Summary: Grants the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries the authority to revise nonresident license fees by as much as $100 and the lifetime hunting and fishing license fees by as much as $50. DGIF requested bill
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Set for subcommittee hearing on 1/17/2007
Left in Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB2020 National Forest Stamp (1/8/2007 update)
James Shuler
Summary: Changes the term of the National Forest Stamp from January 1 to December 31 to one year from the date of purchase. This change is necessary with the implementation of the automated point-of-sale licensing system in which all licenses are now valid for one year from their date of purchase. DGIF requested bill
Referred to Committee on ACNR - Reported 21-0 on 1/17/2007
Passed House 95-0 on 1/22/2007
Referred to Senate Committee on ACNR on 1/23/2007
Set for hearing on 2/5/2007 - Reported 12-0
Passed Senate 39-0 on 2/7/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 39 (effective 7/1/07) on 2/19/2007

HB2021 Crossbow license (1/8/2007 update)
James Shuler
Summary: Adds the crossbow license to those licenses that are covered by the two combination licenses: the youth resident and nonresident combination hunting license and the sportsman's hunting and fishing license. DGIF requested bill
Referred to Committee on ACNR - Reported 21-0 on 1/17/2007
Passed House 96-0 on 1/22/2007
Referred to Senate Committee on ACNR on 1/23/2007
Set for hearing on 2/5/2007 - Reported 12-0
Passed Senate 38-0 on 2/7/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 40 (effective 7/1/07) on 2/19/2007

HB2303 Hunting on Sundays (1/9/2007 update)
Mark Cole
Summary: Allows landowners to hunt on their own property on Sundays. Also allows persons who have the written permission of the landowner to hunt on the landowner's property on Sundays.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Set for subcommittee hearing on 1/17/2007 - Tabled (defeated)

HB2309 Use of shotguns (1/9/2007 update)
Scott Lingamfelter
Summary: Eliminates the requirement of having only a three-shell capacity in the magazine and chamber when hunting nonmigratory game but retains this requirement for hunting migratory game birds, as this limitation is required by federal law. The bill also gives the Board the discretion to remove the three-shell limitation, thereby allowing the Board the flexibility to respond to any easing of the federal limitation on shell capacity for hunting migratory game birds. This bill also eliminates various handgun restrictions on the hunting of nuisance species of birds and animals.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources - Reported w/amendment 21-0 on 1/17/2007
Passed House 94-0 on 1/22/2007
Referred to Senate Committee on ACNR on 1/23/2007
Reset for hearing on 2/12/2007- Reported 15-0
Passed Senate 40-0 on 2/14/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 643 (effective 7/1/07) on 3/20/2007

HB2531 Right of certain hunters to trespass. Abolishes the right of hunters to trespass for the purpose of retrieving hunting dogs (1/13/2007 update)
Steve Landes
Summary: Repeals § 18.2-136, i.e. Fox hunters and coon hunters, when the chase begins on other lands, may follow their dogs on prohibited lands, and hunters of all other game, when the chase begins on other lands, may go upon prohibited lands to retrieve their dogs, but may not carry firearms or bows and arrows on their persons or hunt any game while thereon. The use of vehicles to retrieve dogs on prohibited lands shall be allowed only with the permission of the landowner or his agent.
HB2531 applies to any hunting dog, not just fox and coon hounds. If this bill passes as written and you trespass on posted land while attempting to retrieve your dog, you're guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. That penalty is up to a $2500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail.
OPPOSE
Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
Set for subcommittee hearing on 1/18/2007 - passed by for the day
Reset for subcommittee hearing
Tabled (defeated) on 1/24/2007
Tabling decision reconsidered, amended bill reported on 2/1/2007 (Note edited 2/1/2007)
Reported with substitute 20-1 on 2/2/2007
Passed House 96-3 on 2/6/2007
Referred to Senate Committee for Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice 13-1 on 2/12/2007
Passed Senate 38-2 on 2/14/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 658 (effective 7/1/07) on 3/20/2007

HB3109 Shooting in certain areas (1/19/2007 update)
Bill Janis
Summary: Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to discharge a firearm towards a subdivision within the range of the firearm, or to discharge a firearm towards any person or structure, when no barrier exists that would prevent the projectile from striking a person or structure. With these changes, a locality would no longer be able to prohibit hunting generally within a half-mile radius of a subdivision, but would still be able to prohibit hunting within a subdivision.
Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
Reported 18-3 on 2/2/2007
Passed House 72-26 on 2/6/2007
Referred to Senate Committee for Courts of Justice on 2/7/2007
Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment 8-6 on 2/19/2007
Motion to recommit to Courts of Justice Committee agreed to 20-19 on 2/22/2007
Left in Courts of Justice

SB882 Loss of hunting lands (1/9/2007 update)
Creigh Deeds
Summary: Establishes a policy that there will be no net loss of public lands on which hunting occurs.
SUPPORT
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Reset for hearing on 1/22/2007 - Reported 14-0
Passed Senate 39-0 on 1/25/2007
Referred to House Committee on ACNR on 2/5/2007
Reported by ACNR 21-0 on 2/14/2007
House Block Vote Passage 100-0 on 2/16/2007
Governor requested bill's scope be limited to only DGIF managed lands on 3/26/2007

SB883 Freedom of Information Act; exemption for certain records of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (1/9/2007 update)
Creigh Deeds
Summary: Grants a record exemption for personal information concerning individual applicants for or holders of any hunting, fishing, boating, or trapping license issued by an agent of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, including social security or other identification numbers appearing on a driver's license or other form of identification, credit card or bank account data, home address, phone number, and date of birth, provided the individual has requested in writing that the Department not release such information.
DGIF requested bill
SUPPORT
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
Set for hearing on 1/24/2007
Subcommitte hearing set for 1/26/2007
Referred to Freedom of Information Advisory Council for its post-session consideration.

SB884 Retrieving hunting dogs.(1/9/2007 update)
Creigh Deeds
Summary: Requires hunters retrieving their hunting dogs from a landowner's property to identify themselves when requested by the landowner. A hunter who refuses to identify himself is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
SUPPORT
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
Reported w/technical amendment 13-0 on 1/15/2007
Passed Senate 39-0 on 1/18/2007
Referred to House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety on 2/2/2007
Reported 20-0 on 2/9/2007
Passed House 92-5 on 2/13/2007
Approved by Governor-Chapter 145 (effective 7/1/07) on 3/9/2007

SJ444 Confirming the appointment of the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (1/20/2007 update)
Stephen Martin
Summary: Confirms the appointment of James Carlton Courter III to serve as Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
SUPPORT
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
Senate approved 40-0 on 2/2/2007
Referred to House Committee on Privileges and Elections on 2/5/2007
Agreed to by House 96-0 on 2/8/2007

2007 General Assembly Contact Information