02/24/2026
🟠 Army of Orange Update
We have received several questions about HB1396 progress. This is what happened.
HB1396 Moves to Senate Finance – What That Means for Dog Hunters in Virginia
HB1396 has cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Now it has been referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
That is not the end of the road.
It is the next battlefield.
Let’s break down what this actually means.
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What Just Happened?
When a bill passes a policy committee (in this case Agriculture), it means a majority of those senators agreed with the concept of the legislation.
But HB1396 creates a permit system for hunting with dogs.
Permit systems cost money.
That means:
• Staff time
• Administrative processing
• Enforcement
• Compliance monitoring
• Database management
• Potential equipment and vehicle costs
• Court workload
• Seizure logistics (vehicles, weapons, dogs)
Because of those financial implications, it must now go before the Senate Finance Committee.
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Why Finance Matters
The Finance Committee does not debate tradition.
They debate cost.
They will ask:
• How much will this permit program cost to implement?
• Will permit fees fully cover those costs?
• Will enforcement exceed revenue?
• Will this require new officers?
• Will this shift DWR resources away from conservation?
• What are the unintended economic impacts?
This is where numbers start talking.
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Why This Stage Is Critical
This is where practical reality collides with political theory.
On paper, a permit sounds simple.
In practice, enforcement looks like this:
• A hunter harvests a deer.
• A neighbor’s dog runs through.
• A warden investigates “with the aid of any dog.”
• A citation is issued.
• Equipment is seized.
• Court calendars fill.
• Appeals follow.
Every one of those actions costs money.
Finance will ask whether Virginia taxpayers — including non-dog hunters — should absorb that cost.
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What Could Happen Next
There are three possibilities:
1️⃣ Finance Reports It Favorably
The bill goes to the full Senate for a vote.
2️⃣ Finance Amends It
They could:
• Increase fees
• Limit enforcement scope
• Clarify language
• Reduce fiscal exposure
3️⃣ Finance Lets It Sit
If the committee does not move it forward, it effectively stalls.
Finance is often where controversial bills quietly slow down.
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What This Means for Virginia
This is the moment where lawmakers must decide:
Is this bill about conservation?
Or is it about regulation expansion?
Is this about protecting property rights?
Or creating a new enforcement mechanism?
Is this financially sound?
Or administratively burdensome?
Because once a permit structure is created, it rarely shrinks.
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The Bigger Picture
Army of Orange has said from the beginning:
Language matters.
“With the aid of any dog” is broad.
Broad language plus enforcement authority plus permit requirements equals:
Fear.
Uncertainty.
Doubt.
That is not hysteria.
That is statutory analysis.
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What Hunters Should Do Now
This is not the time to yell.
This is the time to:
• Contact members of Senate Finance.
• Ask about fiscal impact.
• Ask about enforcement cost.
• Ask about unintended consequences.
• Ask whether a fiscal impact statement has been fully analyzed.
Be calm.
Be informed.
Be direct.
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Final Thought
Bills rarely die in dramatic floor speeches.
They stall in committee rooms when cost outweighs benefit.
HB1396 is now in that room.
Virginia hunters should be paying very close attention.
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🦊
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The Senate Finance Committee will probably not meet until mid next week. Contact the Senators and express your concerns.
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