---
type: "Bill"
title: "Oyster Replenishment Fund; oyster resource user fees to be credited to Fund."
description: "Oyster Replenishment Fund; oyster resource user fees to be credited to Fund."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 997"
citation: "Virginia SB 997 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mason"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 54
vote_count: 11
first_action: "2023-01-06"
last_action: "2023-04-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/15abd77d-b1e6-4a80-83b5-bae744732369"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+SB997"
source_hash: "16d2a2ec3c955bcd55031b75d72bd481cf21f41c88490a5da23415b5a0a96c95"
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 997 (2023) — Oyster Replenishment Fund; oyster resource user fees to be credited to Fund.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0747** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0747)
2. **Committee substitute printed 23105621D-S1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB997S1)
3. **Committee substitute printed 23106467D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB997H1)
4. **Governor's substitute printed 23107684D-S2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB997S2)
5. **SB997ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB997ER)
6. **SB997ER2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB997ER2)

## Votes

- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (15-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- House substitute with amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 1-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (78-Y 18-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- VOTE: Adoption (82-Y 11-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (21-Y 1-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper

## Sponsors

- Mason — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-06** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23103089D `filing, introduction`
- **2023-01-06** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-17** Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-17** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-21** Impact statement from TAX (SB997)
- **2023-01-27** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2023-01-31** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-31** Committee substitute printed 23105621D-S1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-01** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2023-02-02** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-02** Reading of substitute waived
- **2023-02-02** Committee substitute agreed to 23105621D-S1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-02** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB997S1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-02** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2023-02-02** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-07** Placed on Calendar
- **2023-02-07** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2023-02-07** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-07** Impact statement from DPB (SB997S1)
- **2023-02-08** House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2023-02-08** Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (21-Y 1-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-08** Committee substitute printed 23106467D-H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-08** Referred to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-10** Assigned App. sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-13** Impact statement from DPB (SB997H1)
- **2023-02-13** Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-15** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-16** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2023-02-16** Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources substitute agreed to 23106467D-H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-16** Committee on Appropriations amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2023-02-16** Engrossed by House - committee substitute with amendments SB997H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-16** Passed House with substitute with amendments (78-Y 18-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-16** VOTE: Passage (78-Y 18-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-20** House substitute with amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 1-N) `amendment-passage, substitution`
- **2023-02-20** Title replaced 23106467D-H1
- **2023-02-23** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-02-23** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB997ER) `passage`
- **2023-02-23** Impact statement from DPB (SB997ER)
- **2023-02-23** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-02-25** Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-03-02** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 2, 2023 `enrolled`
- **2023-03-02** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 27, 2023 `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-27** Governor's recommendation received by Senate `executive-veto-line-item`
- **2023-03-27** Governor's substitute printed 23107684D-S2
- **2023-04-12** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
- **2023-04-12** House concurred in Governor's recommendation (82-Y 11-N)
- **2023-04-12** VOTE: Adoption (82-Y 11-N)
- **2023-04-12** Governor's recommendation adopted `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-12** Reenrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-04-12** Reenrolled bill text (SB997ER2) `enrolled`
- **2023-04-12** Signed by President as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2023-04-12** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2023-04-12** Enacted, Chapter 747 (effective 7/1/23) `became-law`
- **2023-04-12** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0747)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/15abd77d-b1e6-4a80-83b5-bae744732369`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).