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HB 291 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage, report.

Summary
Department of Wildlife Resources; fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage. Directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to (i) develop, publish, and maintain a dedicated webpage on its website to educate the recreational fishing community and the general public about the importance of responsible recycling and disposal of fishing tackle, as defined in the bill, and (ii) periodically update such webpage to ensure that educational materials are current, relevant, and effective in promoting responsible fishing practices. The bill directs the Department to update the webpage at least every three years in consultation with relevant state agencies and stakeholders.
Issues: ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates educational webpage for responsible fishing tackle disposal to reduce pollution and protect aquatic ecosystems, directly advancing pollution control within environmental conservation.85% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 9, 2026 Signed Apr 8, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute → Chaptered · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized as a chaptered act, removing procedural substitute text and adding official approval dates. The core policy content remains largely the same, but a specific requirement to report to the General Assembly was removed, and the section title was slightly shortened to omit 'report'.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on requiring the Department of Wildlife Resources to create an educational webpage about fishing tackle recycling; no new entities or geographic areas were added.
REQUIREMENT

The requirement for the Department to submit a report to the General Assembly was removed from the final version.

TECHNICAL

The section title was shortened by removing the word 'report' and the phrase 'relating to' was adjusted.

Official chaptering details, including the chapter number and approval date, were added to finalize the bill.

Procedural text identifying the bill as a House Substitute and the original patron was removed.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 5, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

How they voted

38–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 39
Mar 5, 2026
D Democratic20
19 Yea 1
95% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
30
Key actions
11
Committee
6
Apr 8, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter 379 (effective 7/1/2026)
executive
Mar 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB291ER)
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (36-Y 3-N 0-A)
upper
Mar 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (13-Y 2-N)
upper
Feb 4, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (74-Y 24-N 0-A)
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (19-Y 3-N)
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Jan 19, 2026
Committee
Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources
lower
Jan 9, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
lower
0 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.