Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia HB 129
Deer; permit may be issued to kill if damaging residential plants and certain property.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Mitchell Cornett (Republican)
Summary
Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED
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. 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 The bill also changes the extent to which a person can assist in hunting when his hunting license has been revoked or suspended in the Commonwealth by prohibiting such person from assisting in hunting until the hunting restriction has been lifted.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.
Text versions
- Introduced
- Agriculture Subcommittee Substitute
- Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute
- Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute
- Enrolled
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 9, 2026 Senate | Passage R | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 5, 2026 Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 3, 2026 Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 10, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 4, 2026 House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Jan 28, 2026 House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
Actions
- Apr 13, 2026
Approved by Governor-Chapter 912 (effective 7/1/2026) - Apr 2, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129) - Mar 31, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 - Mar 31, 2026 · House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 - Mar 31, 2026 · House
Signed by Speaker - Mar 30, 2026 · Senate
Signed by President - Mar 30, 2026 · House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB129ER) - Mar 30, 2026 · House
Enrolled - Mar 10, 2026 · House
Senate substitute agreed to by House (91-Y 8-N 0-A) - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Passed Senate with substitute (33-Y 7-N 0-A) - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed to - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Read third time - Mar 6, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129) - Mar 6, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Substitute bill reprinted 26108431D - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Committee substitute printed 26108431D-S1 - Mar 3, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (13-Y 2-N) - Feb 25, 2026 · Senate
Assigned HACNR sub: Rural Affairs - Feb 24, 2026 · Senate
Senate subcommittee offered - Feb 11, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB129) - Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources - Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) - Feb 10, 2026 · House
Read third time and passed House (88-Y 9-N 0-A) - Feb 9, 2026 · House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute - Feb 9, 2026 · House
committee substitute agreed to - Feb 9, 2026 · House
Read second time - Feb 6, 2026 · House
Read first time - Feb 4, 2026 · House
Committee substitute printed 26106494D-H1 - Feb 4, 2026 · House
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (21-Y 1-N) - Jan 28, 2026 · House
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) - Jan 28, 2026 · House
House subcommittee offered - Jan 19, 2026 · House
Assigned HACNR sub: Agriculture - Jan 2, 2026 · House
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources - Jan 2, 2026 · House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102876D