HB1110 • 2026

Blue catfish; Marine Products Board shall establish Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 27 of Title 3.2 a section numbered 3.2-2705.1, relating to Marine Products Board; blue catfish; Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification.</p>

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Hodges
Last action: 2026-03-04
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Blue Catfish Certification for Chesapeake Bay

This bill requires the Marine Products Board to create a voluntary certification program for blue catfish caught and processed in the Chesapeake Bay area.

What This Bill Does

Creates a voluntary certification program for blue catfish caught or taken from the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries.
Requires that any product labeled as 'Chesapeake Wild Harvest' must be made from blue catfish that meet specific criteria.

Who It Names or Affects

The Marine Products Board
Fishermen and processors who catch or process blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay area

Terms To Know

Chesapeake Wild Harvest: Blue catfish that are caught in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries and processed in Virginia.
Processed: A substantial transformation of blue catfish at a USDA-inspected facility, such as being slaughtered, cut, deboned, filleted, or changed into different marketable forms.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify penalties for mislabeling products.
It is unclear how the certification program will be funded and enforced.

Bill History

2026-03-04 Finance and Appropriations
Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-24 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
2026-02-11 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-11 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
2026-02-10 House
Read third time and passed House (93-Y 4-N 0-A)
2026-02-09 House
Read second time
2026-02-09 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-09 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-06 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1110)
2026-02-06 House
Read first time
2026-02-04 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (19-Y 3-N)
2026-02-04 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Committee substitute printed 26106061D-H1
2026-02-03 Chesapeake
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1110)
2026-02-02 Chesapeake
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)
2026-02-02 Chesapeake
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-30 Chesapeake
Assigned HACNR sub: Chesapeake
2026-01-14 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103700D
2026-01-14 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

Marine Products Board; blue catfish; Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification.
Directs the Marine Products Board to establish and maintain a voluntary Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification and labeling program for any blue catfish that is taken or caught in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries and is processed in the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any person from labeling any product as Chesapeake Wild Harvest unless such product conforms to the provisions of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL NO. 1110

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

on February 4, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Hodges)

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 27 of Title 3.2 a section numbered
3.2-2705.1
, relating to Marine Products Board; blue catfish; Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 27 of Title 3.2 a section numbered
3.2-2705.1
as follows:

§
3
.2-
2705.1
. Chesapeake Wild Harvest certifi
cation for blue catfish.

A.
For the purposes of this section:

"Chesapeake Wild Harvest" means any blue catfish that is
(i)
taken or caught in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries

and (ii) processed in the Commonwealth.

"Processed" means a substantial transformation at a U
.
S
.
D
epartment of
A
griculture
-inspected facility
in the Commonwealth whereby
a
blue catfish is
slaughtered,
cut, deboned, filleted, or otherwise
changed into different marketable forms.

B. The
Marine Products Board
shall establish and maintain a volunt
ary Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification and labeling program for blue catfish products
that meet the definition of Chesapeake Wild Harvest
pursuant to subsection A
.

C. A person shall not label any product as Chesapeake
Wild Harvest unless such product meets the definition of Chesapeake Wild Harvest
pursuant to subsection A
.