11102132D
SENATE BILL NO. 1376
Offered January 13, 2011
A BILL to amend and reenact § 29.1-300.1 of the Code of
Virginia, relating to the age requirement for hunter safety education.
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Patron-- Wagner
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Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 29.1-300.1 of the Code of Virginia is
amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 29.1-300.1. Certification of competence in hunter education.
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section and §
29.1-300.4, no hunting license shall be issued to (i) a person who has never
obtained a license to hunt in any state or country,
or (ii) a person who is under
the age of sixteen 18
years of age or younger, unless such a
person presents to the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries or one of its
authorized license vendors, a certificate of completion in hunter education
issued or authorized by the Board under the hunter education program, or proof
that he holds the equivalent certificate obtained from an authorized agency or
association of another state or country.
B. Although a resident under the age of twelve
12 is
not required to obtain a license to hunt, any person under the age of twelve 12, or an individual on his behalf, may purchase a Virginia
hunting license or a junior lifetime hunting license pursuant to § 29.1-302.1,
without completing a hunter education program as required in subsection A of
this section, provided that no person under the age of twelve
12 shall
hunt unless accompanied and directly supervised by an adult who has, on his
person, a valid Virginia hunting license. The junior lifetime hunting license
issued to an individual under the age of twelve
12 shall
become invalid on the individual's twelfth birthday and remain invalid until
certification of competence in hunter education is shown as provided in this
section. A lifetime license, indicating the completion of hunter education or
an equivalent certificate, shall be reissued at no cost when such proof is
provided.
The adult shall be responsible for such supervision. For the
purposes of this section, "adult" means the parent or legal guardian
of the person under age twelve 12,
or such person over the age of eighteen 18 designated by the parent or
legal guardian.
"Accompanied and directly supervised" means that the
adult is within sight of the person under the age of twelve 12.
C. This section shall not apply to persons while on horseback
hunting foxes with hounds but without firearms.
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