# Virginia HB112: Mammalian wildlife; separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions.

Virginia HB112, Mammalian wildlife; separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Amy J. Laufer (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-22 (Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (23-Y 16-N 0-A)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB112-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB112
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Mammalian wildlife; separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-02
- Last action: 2026-04-22, Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (23-Y 16-N 0-A)
- Sponsor: Amy J. Laufer (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (263 yes, 100 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. Makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity from the mother prior to the offspring turning four months of age, except that wildlife offspring may be prematurely separated if a medical necessity exists pursuant to a written order from a veterinarian with appropriate species-specific experience and expertise licensed to practice in the Commonwealth. The bill excludes the following from its provisions: (i) agricultural animals; (ii) noncommercial transfers or trades between accredited zoological facilities; (iii) an accredited zoological facility, as defined in the bill, that retains the mammalian wildlife offspring separated by such zoological facility; (iv) the Department of Wildlife Resources, a person operating under a wildlife rehabilitator, scientific collection, or endangered and threatened species permit approved by the Department, or a person operating under a species recovery plan approved by the Department; (v) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; or (vi) any person rendering emergency neonatal aide, including the temporary separation of up to 72 hours until a licensed veterinarian can be engaged for assessment and treatment. The bill also makes it unlawful to intentionally and for commercial purposes propagate mammalian wildlife of different species, also known as hybridization. This bill is identical to SB 344.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Annual fee caps for wildlife permits: benefit, low. Virginia's wildlife Board can set annual permit fees to cover processing and administration costs. Fees cannot exceed $20 for endangered-species, scientific-collection, and wildlife-holder permits. The annual cap is $50 for other covered permits to capture, hold, breed, or dispose of wildlife.
- License-free fishing at permitted private facilities: benefit, low. The law provides a permit pathway for private facilities that artificially raise fish for sale. Covered fish include trout, catfish, largemouth bass, and other sunfish-family species. Anglers need no separate fishing license at a permitted facility that allows public fishing and has paid its permit…
- Teachers can display wildlife without permits: benefit, low. Virginia elementary and secondary school teachers can keep and display wildlife for lessons without a permit, application, or fee. They must notify the wildlife Department and follow standards the Board must establish. Those standards may limit species, set enclosure rules, prohibit release, and re…
- Limits on separating young captive mammals: cost, low. People cannot separate captive-born mammalian wildlife from their mothers before four months, or another species-specific age set by the Board. Medical separation requires a written order from a Virginia-licensed veterinarian trained or experienced in caring for that species. Reasonable efforts mus…
- Commercial breeders cannot create wildlife hybrids: cost, low. Commercial breeders cannot intentionally breed mammalian wildlife of different species together for commercial purposes. The law identifies this cross-species breeding as hybridization.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Amy J. Laufer (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 23 | 16 |   |
| 2026-04-22 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 67 | 33 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 26 | 14 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | pass | 10 | 4 |   |
| 2026-02-10 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 71 | 27 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute | pass | 18 | 4 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 8 | 2 |   |

## Actions (39)

- 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (23-Y 16-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (67-Y 33-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-04-22: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1035) (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (HB112ER2) (House)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (House)
- 2026-04-22: Approved by Governor-Chapter 1035 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Governor's recommendation received by House (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB112) (House)
- 2026-03-06: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB112ER) (House)
- 2026-03-06: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-06: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (10-Y 4-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB112) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed House (71-Y 27-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-09: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-09: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-06: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-04: Committee substitute printed 26106274D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (18-Y 4-N) (House)
- 2026-01-28: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-01-19: Assigned HACNR sub: Agriculture (House)
- 2026-01-02: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-01-02: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102377D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225169.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225168.PDF)
- Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219890.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219889.PDF)
- Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219120.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193860.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193859.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1117734.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1117733.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100259.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100527.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100258.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100526.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082431.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082430.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225169.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225168.PDF)
- [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219890.HTML)
- [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219889.PDF)
- [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219120.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193860.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193859.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1117734.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1117733.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100259.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100527.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100258.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100526.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082431.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082430.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB112-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).