Virginia: Pro-Gun Bills Filed to Erase Anti-Gun Experiment

The bill filing deadline has passed, and lawmakers have filed a strong spread of bills to roll back former Governor Ralph Northam’s anti-gun laws and restore Virginia’s place at the forefront of protecting and advancing Second Amendment rights.

Senate Bill 74, House Bill 26, House Bill 483, House Bill 827, and House Bill 1033 restore Virginia’s firearm preemption statute and prevent localities from passing their own restrictions on lawful carry. Ever since the General Assembly allowed them to do so, anti-gun jurisdictions have created a confusing patchwork of carry restrictions that are difficult to know and obey, and create arbitrary boundaries that disarm law-abiding citizens without doing anything to keep armed criminals out.

Senate Bill 364 and House Bill 14 repeal the handgun rationing scheme where law-abiding citizens are only allowed to buy one handgun per 30-day period.

House Bill 509 restores due process protections in Virginia by repealing the so-called “red flag” scheme that allows the seizure of an individual’s firearms on baseless accusations without a hearing or other opportunity for the person to be heard in court.

House Bill 204 repeals the five business day delay for firearm transfers and restores the three day delay that was previously in place. The three day delay for state police to complete a background check was already considered appropriate for the technology level of the time when Virginia created its computerized background system decades ago. It is also what federal law considers appropriate in other states that use the federal NICS background check system.

House Bill 325 repeals the law that victimizes gun owners who suffer loss or theft of their property, with a fine if they do not report lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours of discovering them missing.

House Bill 292 repeals the ban on using electronic or online training towards the training requirement when applying for a concealed handgun permit. Mandatory training requirements are yet another cost prohibitive measure intended to ensure that lower income Americans are barred from defending themselves. The option of online or electronic training courses ensures that permits are accessible to all law-abiding citizens, regardless of financial means.

House Bill 513 and House Bill 1166 repeal the ban on lawful carry at highway rest stops and at the Capitol. These are also arbitrary boundaries where law-abiding citizens are left defenseless. Capitol Square and rest stops are open areas completely accessible to the public, and there is no guarantee of a constant police presence to keep armed criminals out.

Senate Bill 330 and House Bill 288 allow any law-abiding adult who is legally eligible to obtain a carry permit, to carry a handgun without first having to obtain government permission. This ensures that citizens have their right to self-defense without government red tape or delays. Currently, 21 states have constitutional carry. Of those, five passed such laws just last year.

House Bill 10 reduces the fee for a concealed handgun permit to $0. This expands access to the fundamental right-to-carry to all law-abiding citizens, regardless of economic means.

Senate Bill 644 exempts holders of resident Virginia concealed carry permits from the ban on private sales of firearms. The ban on private sales has no impact on crime and it is completely unenforceable without a firearm registry. Citizens who hold a carry permit already have passed background checks conducted by state police.

Senate Bill 763 exempts holders of a Virginia concealed handgun permit from local ordinances that restrict possessing or carrying firearms, ammunition, or components.

While an anti-gun majority still holds the Senate, NRA will nonetheless stand with law-abiding citizens and fight for our rights in Richmond. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills and others as they move through the legislative process.