Virginia: Report on Legislative Action for the Week of February 13

On Monday, February 16, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee will take up the following bills at 8:00 A.M. in Senate Room B:

SUPPORT House Bill 1329: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Lee Ware (R-65), HB 1329 would allow out-of-state concealed handgun permits or licenses to be recognized in Virginia if accompanied by government-issued photo identification.  HB 1329 would acknowledge the rights of everyone, regardless of what state you are from. 

SUPPORT House Bill 1666: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Buddy Fowler (R-55), HB 1666 would allow former Virginia residents to petition to have their gun rights restored in the same manner as residents.

SUPPORT House Bill 2029: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Tony Wilt (R-26), HB 2029 would exempt Virginia residents with a valid concealed handgun permit and a photo ID from undergoing a background check to purchase a firearm.

Please contact members of this committee over the weekend and urge them to support these pro-gun measures.

Today, the Virginia House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee passed the following pro-gun bills:

SUPPORT Senate Bill 848: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Bill Stanley (R-20), SB 848 would establish a marksmanship award to recognize the top 20 competitors in each of the rifle and pistol Excellence-in-Competition matches conducted annually at the Virginia State Championships. (passed unanimously and sent to the full House of Delegates)

SUPPORT Senate Bill 948: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Richard Stuart (R-28), SB 948 would prohibit the sharing of information on concealed handgun permit holders with law enforcement in states that do not have reciprocity agreements with Virginia.  This prohibits states hostile to gun ownership from going on fishing expeditions and using this information as an excuse to harass law-abiding Virginia permit holders while they are traveling out of state. (passed by a 14-7 vote and sent to the full House of Delegates)

SUPPORT Senate Bill 1137: Sponsored by pro-gun Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 1137 would prohibit local ordinances that ban concealed carry permit holders from transporting a loaded rifle or shotgun, eliminating a patchwork of inconsistent laws that are unnecessarily confusing for law-abiding citizens. (passed by a 14-7 vote and sent to the full House of Delegates)

SUPPORT Senate Bill 1191: Sponsored by Senator Tommy Norment (R-3), SB 1191 would amend the felony charge for having a firearm on school property to require that the person must have knowingly possessed the firearm. Inadvertent violations should not result in a felony. (passed unanimously and sent to the full House of Delegates)

Tuesday, February 10, the House of Delegates passed the following pro-gun bills:

SUPPORT House Bill 2029: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Tony Wilt (R-26), HB 2029 would exempt Virginia residents with a valid concealed handgun permit and a photo ID from undergoing a background check to purchase a firearm. (passed by a 65-35 vote and referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee)

SUPPORT House Bill 2009: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Dave LaRock (R-33), HB 2009 would require that when certification of a chief law enforcement officer is required by federal law for transfer of a firearm as defined in the National Firearms Act, such certification must be provided within 60 days if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving the firearm.  The reforms in this bill would benefit law-abiding Virginia firearm owners by ensuring the process to obtain certain federally-regulated firearms already legal in Virginia remains fair, fact-based and objective. (passed by a 68-32 vote and referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee)

SUPPORT House Bill 1329: Sponsored by pro-gun Delegate Lee Ware (R-65), HB 1329 would allow out-of-state concealed handgun permits or licenses to be recognized in Virginia if accompanied by government-issued photo identification.  HB 1329 would acknowledge the rights of everyone, regardless of what state you are from. (passed by a 65-35 vote and referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee)

Your NRA-ILA will keep you informed as these bills and others progress during this important legislative session so that you can contact your state legislators and urge them to support the bills that advance your Second Amendment rights and oppose those bills that would restrict those rights.  Also, please continue to check your email and www.nraila.org for updates on these and other firearm-related bills.