Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The General Assembly is not in session.
Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB805: Littering from motor vehicle; includes cigarette remnants as litter.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 33.1-346 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 33.1-346. Dumping trash, companion animals, etc., on highway, right-of-way or private property; penalty.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or otherwise dispose of trash, garbage, refuse, cigarette butts, litter, a companion animal for the purpose of disposal, or other unsightly matter, on public property, including a public highway, right-of-way, property adjacent to such highway or right-of-way, or on private property without the written consent of the owner thereof or his agent.
B. When any person is arrested for a violation of this section, and the matter alleged to have been illegally dumped or disposed of has been ejected from a motor vehicle or transported to the disposal site in a motor vehicle, the arresting officer may comply with the provisions of § 46.2-936 in making such arrest.
When a violation of the provisions of this section has been observed by any person, and the matter illegally dumped or disposed of has been ejected or removed from a motor vehicle, the owner or operator of such motor vehicle shall be presumed to be the person ejecting or disposing of such matter. However, such presumption shall be rebuttable by competent evidence.
C. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by confinement in jail for not more than
12 months and a fine of not less than $250 $750
or more than $2,500, either or both.
In lieu of the imposition of confinement in jail, the court may order the defendant to perform community service in litter abatement activities.
D. The governing bodies of counties, cities and towns are hereby authorized to adopt ordinances not in conflict with the provisions of this section, and may repeal, amend, or modify such ordinances.
E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the lawful disposal of such matter in landfills.
Additional Data
Explanation
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Words that are highlighted in yellow are
proposed additions, and words that are crossed out in
red are proposed removals.
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