---
type: "Bill"
title: "Hunting waterfowl; duck blinds."
description: "Hunting waterfowl; duck blinds. Prohibitshunting or shooting migratory waterfowl in the public waters of the Commonwealth from a boat, float, raft, or other buoyant craft ordevice within 150 yards of a residence without the consent of thelandowner, except when in active pursuit of a visibly crippled waterfowlthat was legally shot by the person. The bill requires a person huntingwaterfowl to also have a state and federal duck stamp prior to applyingto license a stationary blind in public waters."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 987"
citation: "Virginia SB 987 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Richard H. Stuart"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 27
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2020-01-15"
last_action: "2020-03-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c03caeb2-3624-4cca-a397-a1a71830f3c4"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB987"
source_hash: "4212521ef7efffc80a3f67358c81125b2c8f8da2b3b1ed8ed455180547a18dc3"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 987 (2020) — Hunting waterfowl; duck blinds.

Hunting waterfowl; duck blinds. Prohibitshunting or shooting migratory waterfowl in the public waters of the Commonwealth from a boat, float, raft, or other buoyant craft ordevice within 150 yards of a residence without the consent of thelandowner, except when in active pursuit of a visibly crippled waterfowlthat was legally shot by the person. The bill requires a person huntingwaterfowl to also have a state and federal duck stamp prior to applyingto license a stationary blind in public waters.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0415)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0415)
2. **Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB987ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB987ER)
3. **Impact statement from DPB (SB987S1)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB987)
4. **Impact statement from DPB (SB987S1)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB987S1)

## Votes

- Read third time and passed Senate (36-Y 4-N) — **36–4** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N) — **15–7** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitite (13-Y 1-N 1-A) — **13–1** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (56-Y 44-N) — **55–44** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Richard H. Stuart — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-15** Presented and ordered printed 20104492D `introduction`
- **2020-01-15** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-28** Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitite (13-Y 1-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-28** Committee substitute printed 20106967D-S1 `substitution`
- **2020-01-30** Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-31** Impact statement from DPB (SB987S1)
- **2020-01-31** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-31** Reading of substitute waived
- **2020-01-31** Committee substitute agreed to 20106967D-S1
- **2020-01-31** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB987S1
- **2020-02-03** Read third time and passed Senate (36-Y 4-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-02-13** Placed on Calendar
- **2020-02-13** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-13** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-13** Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-19** Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-21** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-24** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-24** Passed House (56-Y 44-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-24** VOTE: Passage (56-Y 44-N)
- **2020-02-27** Enrolled
- **2020-02-27** Impact statement from DPB (SB987ER)
- **2020-02-27** Signed by President
- **2020-02-27** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-03-10** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 10, 2020
- **2020-03-10** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
- **2020-03-23** Approved by Governor-Chapter 415 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c03caeb2-3624-4cca-a397-a1a71830f3c4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).