Through this summary, Virginia DWR will provide information on bills filed during the 2026 General Assembly related to the Department’s mission or that may affect our operations and be of interest to you. For information regarding DWR’s legislative process, contact Aaron Proctor, Legislative Liaison, at aaron.proctor@dwr.virginia.gov.
Commenting on Legislation
The most appropriate way to express your opinion about these bills, or any other legislation, is through your local delegate and/or senator. For more information about your legislators and how to contact them, please visit the Virginia General Assembly website.
Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus Meetings
Under the leadership of Caucus co-Chairs Delegate Betsy Carr and Delegate Buddy Fowler, the Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus meets on Thursday mornings at 7:00 AM during the legislative session to discuss issues impacting Virginia’s sportsmen and women.
These meetings are typically attended by Caucus members, state agency representatives, and various sportsman’s groups.
Bills
Click on the bill number to go directly to the state’s Legislative Information System (LIS) to view the full text of the legislation. The current committee to which the legislation is assigned and agendas/dockets for committee meetings can be found under the “Committee” column. Summary information and latest status is available in the “Latest Information” column. Please note that the “Committee” information will be updated on the LIS only when there has been action on the specific piece of legislation; not all bills will be acted on in the same timeframes.
Legislation will be added to this list as it is introduced. Please be aware that new legislation is introduced every day, especially during the pre-session and early session periods.
Last Updated: February 25, 2026
| Bill | Chief Patron | Catch Line | Committee / Subcommittee | Latest Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Bills Introduced | ||||
| HB45 | Fowler | Fees to hunt, fish, and trap; free or partially discounted, reimbursement. | Tabled in subcommittee | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB112 | Laufer | Mammalian wildlife; premature separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB129 | Cornett | Killing of deer damaging fruit trees, crops, livestock, plants, or personal property. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB291 | Anderson | Fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage, report. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB407 | Reid | Light pollution education and dark sky preservation. | Tabled in subcommittee | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB596 | Simonds | Wildlife Corridor Action Plan; interagency implementation group; report. | Tabled in subcommittee | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB597 | Simonds | Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund established; voluntary contributions; report | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB641 | Krizek | Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; data center land conservation tax; land preservation distributions and appropriations. | Continued to 2027 | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB759 | Runion | Conveyance of easement. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB767 | Zehr | Board of Wildlife Resources; prescribing seasons and bag limits for taking wild birds, animals, and fish. | Tabled in subcommittee | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB1126 | Clark | Protection of native migratory fish; work group report. | Tabled in subcommittee | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| HB1365 | Fowler | Fishing license requirements; exemptions; free fishing days. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| HB1396 | Martinez | Department of Wildlife Resources; permits; use of dogs in hunting game animals, fur-bearing animals, and nuisance species. | Passed House // | Summary and Status |
| Senate Bills Introduced | ||||
| SB344 | Boysko | Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. | Passed Senate // | Summary and Status |
| SB393 | Perry | Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; land preservation distributions and appropriations. | Continued to 2027 | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| SB471 | Marsden | Releasing of hunting dogs; state or local roadway; hunting, fishing, and trapping special license; penalty. | Passed By Indefinitely | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| SB770 | Reeves | Board of Wildlife Resources; early special deer muzzleloading season; hunting with dogs. | Defeated on Senate Floor | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |
| SB807 | Stuart | Hunting within certain areas of Monroe Bay prohibited; Westmoreland County. | Defeated on Senate Floor | Summary and Status This bill is no longer moving forward. |