WEST virginia legislature

2023 regular session

ENGrOSSED

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 3122

By Delegates Vance, Butler, Burkhammer, Longanacre, Dean, Kirby, Dillon, Nestor, Brooks, Toney and Cooper

[Introduced January 27, 2023; Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §20-2-5l, relating to permitting certain types of rifles using an encapsulated propellant charge that loads from the breech, with the bullet loaded from the muzzle, during any muzzleloader season; and providing an exception.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

§20-2-5l. Use of certain rifles to hunt in muzzleloader season.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or any rule promulgated thereunder to the contrary, any person lawfully entitled to hunt may hunt with a  singleshot muzzleloading pistol or singleshot muzzleloading rifle, having a bore diameter of not less than thirty-eight one-hundredths of an inch, using an encapsulated propellant charge that loads from the breech, with the projectile loaded from the muzzle, during any established muzzleloader season: Provided, That such muzzleloading pistol or muzzleloading rifle may not be used for hunting during the Mountaineer Heritage season.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit certain types of rifles using an encapsulated propellant charge that loads from the breech.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.