The House is considering Senate Bill 1149, which would tighten state law regarding hunting while intoxicated. Here are the key provisions:
• It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt wild birds and wild animals with a firearm, bow and arrow or crossbow in the Commonwealth of Virginia while such person has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent or more. A violation is a class 1 misdemeanor.
• Game wardens, sheriffs and all other law enforcement officers shall enforce the provisions.
• A hunter shall be deemed, as a condition of hunting, to have consented to a blood or breath test if arrested for hunting while intoxicated within two hours of the alleged offense.
• If a hunter refuses to take a test, a court can ban the person from hunting for a year for a first offense and two years for a subsequent offense within five years.
