Bill > HB45

This bill amends the Virginia Code to modify regulations regarding hunting, fishing, and trapping license exemptions, and introduces a new provision for financial reimbursement to the Department of Wildlife Resources. Specifically, the bill adds a requirement that the Department must maintain an annual accounting of potential revenue lost due to license exemptions or discounted fees established by the General Assembly after July 1, 2026. The Department of Accounts will then be required to reimburse the Department of Wildlife Resources for this amount by paying it into the Game Protection Fund within 30 days of receiving the accounting. The accounting and related records will be subject to audit by the State Comptroller. Minor technical changes are also made throughout the existing law, such as updating language from "this" to "the" and clarifying grammatical constructions. The bill preserves existing license exemptions for various groups, including landowners and their families, people under specific age thresholds, Native Americans, legally blind individuals, active-duty military personnel on leave, and others, while adding a mechanism to ensure the Department of Wildlife Resources is financially compensated for mandated fee reductions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB45