Today, February 17th is the legislative crossover deadline in Virginia, and any bills that have not left their chamber of origin by the end of the day are considered dead for the session. This has been a challenging session for law-abiding gun owners, but your efforts have made a difference! Your engagement with lawmakers has helped defeat HB 207, the $500 tax on suppressors, and HB 926, which would have prohibited shooting on less than 5 acres of land. House Bill 919, which would impose two separate 11% taxes on all firearms and ammunition sales, has been postponed for further review until next session.
Radical anti-gun legislators have been busy though, and a host of anti-gun legislation has already advanced out of the chamber of origin. It is critical that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters remain vigilant and engaged in the final weeks of the legislative session. We encourage you to contact your legislators by calling 804-698-1619 for the House of Delegates or 804-698-7410 for the Senate to continue urging them to oppose gun control.
Bills in the House of Delegates:
Senate Bill 749 bans certain semi-automatic firearms, including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns, and arbitrarily limits magazine capacities. This bill is an attempt to redefine and ban firearms that are in common use by law-abiding citizens—plain and simple gun confiscation by definition.
Senate Bill 643 establishes a "permit to purchase" scheme in Virginia, requiring individuals to acquire a "firearm purchaser license" issued by the Department of State Police.
Senate Bill 272 limits who can carry firearms at public institutions of higher learning.
Senate Bill 727 prohibits carrying "assault firearms" in public places, including streets, sidewalks, and parks. Because of vague definitions, SB 727 effectively criminalizes carrying any center-fire semi-automatic firearm in the Commonwealth.
Senate Bill 496 places further restrictions on the ability for a law-abiding individual to keep a firearm in their vehicle for self-defense.
Senate Bill 763 imposes an 11% excise tax on the sale of all firearms and ammunition "by a dealer in firearms, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor," and designates all funding from the tax go into a so-called "Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund."
Bills in the Senate:
House Bill 21 creates sweeping new standards of “responsible conduct” for members of the firearm industry, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The bill requires these businesses to establish and implement vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products. Further, it establishes a broad civil cause of action, allowing the Attorney General, local government attorneys, or private individuals to sue firearm businesses for injunctions, damages, and costs. This is a direct attack on the firearm industry and are designed to regulate the industry out of existence through litigation—despite longstanding federal protections.
House Bill 40 ends the centuries-old practice of individuals building lawful firearms for personal use without government interference by prohibiting the manufacture of firearms without serial numbers. Transfer and possession of an unserialized or plastic firearm would be prohibited. This legislation would also penalize individuals who lawfully purchased unfinished frames and receivers before the bill’s effective date.
House Bill 217 bans certain semi-automatic firearms, including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns, arbitrarily limits magazine capacities, and prohibits possession by legal adults under the age of 21. This bill is an attempt to redefine and ban firearms that are in common use by law-abiding citizens—plain and simple gun confiscation by definition.
House Bill 901 expands the Commonwealth's "red flag" law to broadly expand parties who can file Emergency Risk Protective Order petitions to a court to suspend a person’s Second Amendment rights and to order the seizure of the person’s guns, despite that person never having been charged with or convicted of a crime. Such orders, based on weak and nebulous standards, can be issued before the gun owner is provided the opportunity to be heard or to present evidence.
House Bill 110 places further restrictions on the ability for a law-abiding individual to keep a firearm in their vehicle for self-defense.
House Bill 871 creates a mandatory storage requirement for homes where minors or prohibited persons are present.
House Bill 93 requires subjects of protective orders to transfer their firearms to individuals over the age of 21 who do not reside in the same home as the prohibited person. Under current law, there is no requirement that a transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with the prohibited person.
House Bill 916 expands the curriculum requirements for Virginia concealed carry permit classes.
House Bill 1071 requires threat assessment teams for public schools to receive additional training on the use of "red flag" emergency substantial risk orders.
House Bill 1524 prohibits carrying "assault firearms" in public places, including streets, sidewalks, and parks. Because of vague definitions, HB 1524 effectively criminalizes carrying any center-fire semi-automatic firearm in the Commonwealth.
House Bill 1525 prohibits the purchase and possession of firearms by legal adults under the age of 21. If passed as written, the new prohibition on possession would apply broadly to anyone under 21, including those who already own such firearms.
As Second Amendment advocates and citizens of the Commonwealth, it is our responsibility to remain engaged and continue to inform our legislators how these policies will have critical negative impacts on law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to address crime. Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for updates as we enter the second half of session.
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