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2004 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

Chairman: Charles R. Hawkins

Date of Meeting: March 1, 2004
Time and Place: 9:00 a.m., Senate Room B

H.B. 182

Patron: Oder

Royalties for use of state-owned bottomland. Removes the Virginia Marine Resources Commission's authority to assess royalties for the use of state-owned bottomland. The Commission retains the authority to charge permit fees for the use of bottomland, the recovery of underwater historic property, and the removal of bottom material, easements, and leases. The bill removes the option available to ship construction and repair businesses of paying a one-time permit fee of up to $5,000, in lieu of any other royalties, but will have to pay a fee of between $25 and $100 for use of state-owned bottomland.

H.B. 758

Patron: Hurt

Hunting, trapping and fishing license exemption. Exempts the children and grandchildren of a landowner and the spouses of the landowner's children and grandchildren from having to obtain a license to hunt, trap or fish on landowner's property. Currently, the exemption extends to the landowner, his or her spouse, their children and only minor grandchildren, and the landowner's.

H.B. 766

Patron: Hurt

Inspections of food stores. Exempts retail establishments that do not prepare or serve food and sell only food and beverages sealed in packaging by the manufacturer from inspection by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

H.B. 918

Patron: Phillips

Regulation of restaurants; definition. Excludes from the definition of restaurant, and thereby from Department of Health regulation as a restaurant, convenience stores or gas stations having 15 or fewer seats at which food is served to the public on the premises and which are not part of a national or regional restaurant chain.

H.B. 1142

Patron: McDonnell

Nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species. Allows the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to receive funds from the Virginia Environmental Emergency Response Fund to control and eradicate nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species if the Governor has declared that the presence of such nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species poses an imminent threat to public health, safety, or the environment. This bill directs the Department to utilize the best available scientific technology that is specific to controlling the targeted nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species, environmentally sound, practical, and cost effective. This bill also directs the Secretary of Natural Resources to seek and accept all possible funding to carry out the purposes the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Act.