Game, Inland Fisheries and Boating

Passed

P HB114

Hunting; trap identification. Permits hunters to attach an identification number issued by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to traps. Currently, hunters may not set traps without attaching their name and address to the trap.
Patron - Ware, R.L.

P HB115

Hunting; submerged traps. Authorizes the Board of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to adopt regulations that allow certain persons to visit completely submerged, conibear-style, body-gripping traps less frequently than every 24 hours.
Patron - Ware, R.L.

P HB319

Special fishing permit. Allows the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to permit any organized groups of patients residing in or receiving outpatient treatment from a veterans or military hospital in Virginia, an adjoining state, or the District of Columbia to fish without having to obtain licenses. They would be allowed to fish in any public waters including those stocked with trout. Currently, the Director can allow a group of persons residing in veterans hospitals to fish in state waters without a license but such a privilege does not extend to fishing in waters stocked with trout.
Patron - Cox

P HB886

Bear hound training season. Allows the training of dogs to hunt bears from one-half hour before sunrise until four and one-half hours after sunset. Currently, the training of dogs to hunt bears is limited to one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Patron - Lohr

P HB1016

Killing of deer over bait; local authority. Allows the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to allow the killing of deer over bait in counties with a special late antlerless season when specifically requested by the governing body of the locality.
Patron - Hugo

P HB1175

Apprentice hunting license. Authorizes the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to issue an apprentice hunting license. This license would be issued in lieu of the current state resident or nonresident basic hunting license. It is a one-time license that expires two years from the date of purchase and does not require the licensee to complete a hunter education course. The fee for obtaining the license would be $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. The purpose of the bill is to extend limited hunting privileges to persons interested in learning about hunting sports. This bill is identical to SB 617.
Patron - Lingamfelter

P HB1482

Damage from bears; non-lethal control measures. Authorizes the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to employ non-lethal control measures to control bears that are damaging property. Currently the Director may relocate the bear, but is not explicitly authorized to use other non-lethal control measures such as fencing. Any such measures are permissible only if used within a reasonable period of time.
Patron - Saxman

P SB552

Fishing license; exemptions for persons assisting disabled persons. Exempts nondisabled persons from having to obtain a fishing license when assisting a disabled person to fish as long as the disabled person possesses a valid fishing license. There is already an exemption for those assisting disabled hunters, and this exemption will now extend to disabled fishermen.
Patron - Hurt

P SB617

P SB765

Water safety enforcement. Requires the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to provide an enhanced enforcement effort on Smith Mountain Lake during the summer months.
Patron - Newman

Failed

F HB872

Wearing blaze orange while hunting. Requires a hunter or any person who accompanies a hunter to wear blaze orange clothing during any firearms deer season, including the muzzleloader season. The bill also increases the amount of blaze orange clothing that has to be displayed from 100 square inches to 250 square inches.
Patron - Johnson

F HB1088

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; disclosure of official records; exceptions. Provides that records of the Department shall be subject to the disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, except that the social security number of individual applicants for or holders of any hunting, fishing, boating, or trapping license issued by an agent of the Department shall be withheld from public disclosure. The bill provides, however, that such information may be released (i) in accordance with a proper judicial order or (ii) to any law-enforcement agency, officer, or authorized agent thereof acting in the performance of official law-enforcement duties.
Patron - Sickles

F HB1250

Personal flotation devices required for children; civil penalty. Requires children 12 years of age or younger to wear a Type I, II, III, or Type V U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device on recreational vessels under 21 feet in length. The Director of Game and Inland Fisheries may assess any recreational vessel operator found in violation of this provision a civil penalty of up to $250. However, this penalty may be waived if the person completes a boating safety education course. All penalties collected are to be paid to the Motorboat and Water Safety Fund of the Game Protection Fund. The bill does not apply to a recreational vessel that is moored or anchored, or to children below deck or in an enclosed cabin. The bill defines "recreational vessel" as a vessel manufactured or operated for leisure or recreational purposes, or a vessel leased, rented or chartered for noncommercial use. "Recreational vessel" includes motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and any other vessel capable of being used for transportation on water, when the vessel is being used for other than commercial purposes. This bill contains a delayed enactment clause until January 1, 2009.
Patron - Poisson

F HB1352

Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. Reconstitutes the membership of the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. Each of the current members would be replaced as their terms of office expired. The new appointments would be made by the Speaker of the House, Senate Committee on Rules and the Governor. As a qualification for appointment, each Board member must have held a resident hunting or fishing license for three years.
Patron - Ware, R.L.

F HB1361

Duties of Director of Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Requires the Director to report quarterly to the Secretary of Natural Resources on the expenses he has control over and to inform the Secretary as to the Department's progress in meeting its goals and objectives.
Patron - Cline

F HB1456

Hunting with bow and arrow or crossbow. Allows persons who hunt with a bow and arrow or crossbow to hunt on private lands on Sundays.
Patron - Nichols

F SB365

Hunting turkeys. Authorizes localities to prohibit the hunting of turkeys with a rifle. The penalty for violation of the local ordinance is a Class 4 misdemeanor.
Patron - Watkins

F SB524

Hunting on Sunday. Allows a person to hunt or kill any wild bird or wild animal on Sundays.
Patron - Wagner

F SB708

Urban archery season. Authorizes the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries to allow Sunday hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow during urban archery season. The bill allows urban localities to authorize Sunday hunting during the urban archery season so long as the local ordinance is consistent with the Board's regulations.
Patron - Stolle

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