ButchA, The Governor signed the bill in March and it became effective July, 2005. This is not a new code on the books....merely an amended code. I think you posted this link a few weeks back but here it is again. If you notice, the words that are in italics are the words in the bill that have been added/changed:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=051&typ=bil&val=HB2741

This does not automatically ban shooting a bow in your back yard. It simply gives each locality the authority to do so in areas it deems too populated to safely shoot.