VirginiaDeer; permit may be issued to kill if damaging residential plants and certain property.
What it does
Killing of deer damaging residential plants and certain property. Allows the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer when such deer cause damage to residential plants and the Director or his designee determines, upon inspection, that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. Upon a landowner or lessee's request, the bill also requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill antlerless deer on commercial agricultural production lands when such deer cause damage to fruit trees, Christmas trees, crops, horticultural plants, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production within the Commonwealth.
More detail
When such damage is caused by antlered deer, the bill requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer if the Director or his designee determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. The bill also changes the extent to which a person can assist in hunting when his hunting license has been revoked or suspended in the Commonwealth by prohibiting such person from assisting in hunting until the hunting restriction has been lifted. Current law allows such a person to assist in hunting after a certain period of time.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 13Approved by Governor Abigail Spanberger-Chapter 912 (effective 7/1/2026)Became Law
- Apr 2Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129)
- Mar 31Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 31Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Minor
- Mar 31Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB129ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 10Senate substitute agreed to by House (91-Y 8-N 0-A)Major
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 9Passed Senate with substitute (33-Y 7-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 9Engrossed by Senate - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 9Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed to
- Mar 9Read third timeMinor
- Mar 6Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129)
- Mar 6Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Mar 5Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 5Rules suspended
- Mar 4Substitute bill reprinted 26108431D
- Mar 4Committee substitute printed 26108431D-S1Major
- Mar 3Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (13-Y 2-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 25Assigned HACNR sub: Rural AffairsMinor
- Feb 24Senate subcommittee offered
- Feb 11Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129)
- Feb 11Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesMinor
- Feb 11Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 10Read third time and passed House (88-Y 9-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9Engrossed by House - committee substituteMajor
- Feb 9committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 9Read second timeMinor
- Feb 6Read first timeMinor
- Feb 4Committee substitute printed 26106494D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 4Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (21-Y 1-N)Minor
- Jan 28Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)Major
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 28House subcommittee offered
- Jan 19Assigned HACNR sub: AgricultureMinor
- Jan 2Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural ResourcesMinor
- Jan 2Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102876DIntroduced