Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc., P.O. Box 513, Newington, VA 22122
804-639-0600 • 703-372-3285 • 757-271-3705 • 540-446-5783
VCDL 2025 Legislation Tracking Tool
VCDL 2025 Legislation Tracking Tool
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Bills We Strongly Support
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Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Redefines an "eligible transaction" for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines "eligible transaction" as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025. This bill was incorporated into HB 2595 . VCDL Comments This bill adds gun safes sold by commercial retailers as eligible for an existing tax credit. Currently only gun safes sold by federal firearms licensees are eligible. This will give gun owners more diversity in gun safe models, availability, and cost. | History
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Firearm safety device tax credit; definitions. Redefines an "eligible transaction" for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines "eligible transaction" as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025. This bill incorporates HB 1581 and is identical to SB 1389 . VCDL Comments This bill adds gun safes sold by commercial retailers as eligible for an existing tax credit. Currently only gun safes sold by federal firearms licensees are eligible. This will give gun owners more diversity in gun safe models, availability, and cost. | History
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Bills We Support
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Bills We Strongly Oppose
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Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide to the transferee a copy of the form certifying that such person does not possess any firearms or that all firearms possessed by such person have been surrendered, sold, or transferred. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from such person if such law-enforcement officer has reason to believe that such person has not relinquished all firearms in his possession. This bill is identical to HB 1960 . VCDL Comments This bill requires a person with a protective order against them or a person with a domestic violence conviction to surrender, sell, or turn their guns over to someone 21-years-old or older and someone who does not live with them. It requires the person to be advised that if a police officer believes they have not turned over all their guns, that the officer can get a search warrant to look for any such guns. There are multiple problems with the bill as written. If a husband and wife co-own a shotgun for home defense, for example, and the husband gets a protective order issued against him, the wife would no longer have access to that co-owned shotgun. That punishes the wife and needlessly endangers her life. There is also the question of not allowing a person 18 to 20-years-old to retain the guns. A person in that age range can legally possess rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Why can't young adults be used to hold the guns? | History
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Purchase of certain firearms; age requirement; penalty. Prohibits any person under 21 years of age from purchasing an assault firearm, with exceptions for the purchase of an assault firearm by a law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, jail officer, or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state. Accordingly, the bill prohibits a licensed dealer from selling, renting, trading, or transferring from his inventory an assault firearm to any person under 21 years of age. A violation of either prohibition is a Class 6 felony. The bill also expands the definition of assault firearm as the term applies to criminal history record information checks. VCDL Comments This bill makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase a handgun or an 'assault firearm.' It also redefines the term 'assault firearm' to cover more firearms. This bill is unconstitutional. Courts have ruled the 2nd Amendment covers those 18 and older. | History
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Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles and shotguns on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. Under current law, the current prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, only in certain localities, and only when such firearms are loaded. VCDL Comments This bill bans the carry of 1) a semi-automatic centerfire rifle or pistol that has a fixed magazine that holds more than 10 rounds or 2) a semi-automatic centerfire rifle or pistol that accepts a detachable magazine of any size and has any of a variety of cosmetic features or 3) a semi-automatic shotgun with any of a variety of cosmetic features, on or about a person on a public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, in a park, or in any place open to the public. It doesn't matter if the firearm is unloaded. Concealed handgun permit holders and licensed security guards are no longer exempt from this code section, even though neither one has caused any legal issues by carrying such loaded firearms publicly for over a decade. Of course, the government, our servant, exempts itself from all this nonsense. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that citizens have the right to carry firearms outside of their homes and in public, so this bill is unconstitutional on its face. | History
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Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The portions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026; however, the portions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. VCDL Comments This bill makes unfinished firearm frames and receivers and un-serialized commercially made firearms unlawful to possess, purchase, sell, or transfer unless they are serialized. Even a chunk of aluminum, if sold to the public to become a frame or receiver once completed, must be serialized under this bill. The bill doesn't grandfather existing homemade firearms. This bill is unconstitutional, as there was no analog in the history or traditions of firearms with any such limitations at the time the Bill of Rights was adopted. Homemade guns have been legal since before the United States existed. And, of course, government, our servant, exempts itself from all this foolishness. | History
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Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalties. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2025, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 1869 . VCDL Comments This bill makes battery in a 'dating relationship' a misdemeanor and takes away the right to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm for three years. This amounts to a lifetime ban on firearms federally since it does not also take away, and restore, all civil rights. Misdemeanors should never take away a civil right. This will also not stand up to court challenge under the Supreme Court's Bruen decision as there was no history or tradition of taking away a person's right to keep and bear arms over misdemeanor battery of anyone. | History
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Trigger activator definition; penalty. Defines "trigger activator" as a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device designed to alter the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to mimic automatic weapon fire or used to increase the rate of fire to a rate faster than such semi-automatic firearm can achieve when not equipped with a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device. The bill clarifies that "trigger activator" includes a bump stock, trigger crank, hellfire trigger, binary trigger system, burst trigger system, or a copy thereof, but does not include a semi-automatic replacement trigger, designed for use in competitive shooting, that improves performance and functionality over the stock trigger. This bill is identical to HB 1660 . VCDL Comments This bill redefines a 'trigger activator' as a 'conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device' that alters the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to 'mimic automatic weapon fire or used to increase the rate of fire to a faster rate than that possible for a person to fire such semi-automatic firearm unassisted'�' The terms in this bill are so vague as to be meaningless. At what exact point does a firearm 'mimic automatic weapon fire,' considering that different automatic firearms have different rates of fire? And how does someone determine what the rate of fire is for a person shooting a firearm unassisted? There are professional shooters, such as world champion Jerry Miculek, who can shoot a firearm without assisting devices at eye-popping speeds. Unadulterated semi-automatic firearms can be 'bump fired' by simply holding them the right way. | History
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Purchase of firearms; waiting period; penalty. Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law. The amendments to the Code of Virginia in the bill are identical to the amendments to the Code of Virginia in HB 2631 . VCDL Comments This bill requires that a person must wait five days before a purchased or rented firearm can be transferred to them. Gun sales, both private and commercial, will require a buyer to make two trips to a dealer to get the firearm, and such trips could be lengthy. The bill will also do severe harm to gun shows, as most are only two days long and would therefore require all purchasers to travel to a gun store, possibly across the state, to pick up the firearm. There are many sad cases where someone who urgently needed a firearm for self-defense was murdered while in the waiting period. California has a 10-day waiting period, with plenty of mass murders and a violent crime rate double that of Virginia in 2022. Virginia has the 9th lowest crime rate in the U.S. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/). So much for the promise to citizens that the system would be an 'instant check' when that law was passed. | History
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Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 1977 . VCDL Comments This bill prohibits firearms in facilities that provide mental health services or developmental services, including hospitals, emergency departments, or emergency medical care facilities, if they offer such services. Disarming visitors and guests, including concealed handgun permit holders, at such facilities violates their right to protect themselves in an emergency. A U.S. District Court in the 2nd Circuit has restrained enforcement of just such a law for being unconstitutional under New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen Supreme Court ruling. | History
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Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. The bill provides that a violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill exempts (i) any person in lawful possession of a firearm who carries such firearm on or about his person and (ii) the storage of antique firearms and provides that the lawful authorization of a minor to access a firearm is not a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill also requires firearm dealers to post a notice stating such firearm storage requirements and the penalty for improperly storing such firearms. VCDL Comments This bill requires all firearms in a home, that are not being carried on or about a person, to be unloaded and placed in a locked container if there is a minor in the home or if there is a prohibited person in the home. A gun may only be stored loaded if it is in a biometric safe. Gun dealers must post signage about the law and there is also a provision to educate the public on firearm storage. Biometric safes are more expensive than non-biometric safes. Biometric safes can be unreliable when being used under stress and require batteries to work. Why are biometric safes the only option for storing a loaded firearm? | History
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Importation, sale, manufacture, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm with some exceptions. This bill is identical to HB 1607 . VCDL Comments This bill prohibits the sale, possession, transfer, and transport of an 'assault firearm' made on or after July 1, 2025. It also prohibits sale, possession, transfer, and transport of an 'assault firearm' to anyone under the age of 21. Magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and were made on or after July 1, 2025, are prohibited. The U.S. Supreme Court has said in both DC v Heller, and recently The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen, that any firearm 'in common use' is protected by the Second Amendment. The guns and magazines targeted by this bill are among the most common guns and magazines in the United States, making this bill unconstitutional. | History
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Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Permits the governing board of a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy prohibiting the carrying of any firearm, ammunition, or components or combination thereof within any building owned or operated by such public institution of higher education. The bill allows such policy to include security measures that are designed to reasonably prevent the unauthorized access of buildings that are open to the public. Finally, the bill exempts certain activities, defined in the bill, operated at public or private institutions of higher education from any policy created by a governing board. This bill is identical to HB 1876 . VCDL Comments This bill restricts firearms at public institutions of higher education by requiring such firearms be part of an authorized program or activity inside a building. A solution in search of a problem. Higher education students are adults and have a right to self-defense. | History
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Importation, sale, manufacture, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm with some exceptions. This bill is identical to SB 1181 . VCDL Comments This bill prohibits the sale, possession, transfer, and transport of an 'assault firearm' made on or after July 1, 2025. It also prohibits sale, possession, transfer, and transport of an 'assault firearm' to anyone under the age of 21. Magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and were made on or after July 1, 2025, are prohibited. The U.S. Supreme Court has said in both DC v Heller, and recently The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen, that any firearm 'in common use' is protected by the Second Amendment. The guns and magazines targeted by this bill are among the most common guns and magazines in the United States, making this bill unconstitutional. | History
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Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; and (iv) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly or recklessly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county or city attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. VCDL Comments This bill allows one of the most highly regulated industries, the firearms industry, to be sued civilly for a variety of already illegal actions. It also holds the manufacturers and sellers of even the most benign of firearm accessories, like a butt stock or a gun case, liable to a civil lawsuit if it doesn't 'properly' protect that item from theft or misuse by a criminal. How could a firearm accessory seller reasonably know if they were selling a gun sling to a prohibited person? This bill is designed to have a chilling effect on all aspects of the firearms industry. At a time when the federal government is pulling FFL licenses for even the tiniest and most benign of paperwork mistakes, this bill is just piling on with more unreasonable ways to destroy the firearm industry. | History
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Trigger activator definition; penalty. Defines "trigger activator" as a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device designed to alter the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to mimic automatic weapon fire or used to increase the rate of fire to a rate faster than such semi-automatic firearm not equipped with a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device. The bill clarifies that "trigger activator" includes a bump stock, trigger crank, hellfire trigger, binary trigger system, burst trigger system, or a copy thereof, but does not include a semi-automatic replacement trigger, designed for use in competitive shooting, that improves performance and functionality over the stock trigger. This bill is identical to SB 886 . VCDL Comments This bill redefines a 'trigger activator' as a 'conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device' that alters the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to 'mimic automatic weapon fire or used to increase the rate of fire to a faster rate than that possible for a person to fire such semi-automatic firearm unassisted'�' The terms in this bill are so vague as to be meaningless. At what exact point does a firearm 'mimic automatic weapon fire,' considering that different automatic firearms have different rates of fire? And how does someone determine what the rate of fire is for a person shooting a firearm unassisted? There are professional shooters, such as world champion Jerry Miculek, who can shoot a firearm without assisting devices at eye-popping speeds. Unadulterated semi-automatic firearms can be 'bump fired' by simply holding them the right way. | History
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Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention; creation. Creates the Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention within the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill states that the Center will serve as the primary resource for research, best practices, and strategies for the implementation of firearm violence intervention, community-based intervention, and group violence intervention programs designed to reduce violence in communities. The bill also requires that the Center evaluate state and community based violence intervention programs and policies that receive funding through the Center, apply for and accept federal grants, and provide technical assistance. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. VCDL Comments This bill creates a state agency named the Virginia Center for Firearm Violence and Prevention. The agency would only be targeting violence committed using firearms and ignoring the root causes of crime, as well as all the other ways violence is inflicted on victims '� knives, blunt objects, hands and feet, etc. Half of violent crimes are not committed with a firearm! The term 'Firearm Violence' in the name of the agency gives away the true agenda: 'firearm violence' is a term coined by the gun-control lobby to blame guns, which are inanimate objects, and not the criminals that misuse guns. If a police officer shoots someone, the officer gets the blame, not his gun. But, if a criminal shoots someone, the gun gets the blame and not the criminal. No one says, 'tire iron violence' or 'hand and feet violence.' Instead, it is just called 'violence.' But there is a disarmament agenda with firearms and 'firearm violence' is just an excuse to go after firearms. | History
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Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether other states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from such other state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth, provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state, accessible 24 hours a day; (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill prevents a Virginia resident, except for an active duty service member or such service member's spouse, who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit from using a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill requires the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2025, to determine whether the requirements and qualifications of those states' laws are adequate to prevent possession of a permit or license by persons who would be denied a permit in the Commonwealth and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements or qualifications by December 1, 2025. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are adequate to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth. VCDL Comments This bill severely restricts concealed handgun permit recognition with other states. Currently, Virginia honors permits from all other states, which, in turn, allows Virginians to be able to carry in most of those states. Permit holders from other states have been peacefully carrying in Virginia for years. This bill is an unjust and demeaning slap in the face to law-abiding Virginia gun owners, as it will reduce the number of states where a Virginia permit holder can carry a handgun for self-defense. It will also discourage gun owners outside of Virginia from visiting the Commonwealth, effecting the state's economy. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. | History
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Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalties. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2025, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 883 . VCDL Comments This bill makes battery in a 'dating relationship' a misdemeanor and takes away the right to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm for three years. This amounts to a lifetime ban on firearms federally since it does not also take away, and restore, all civil rights. Misdemeanors should never take away a civil right. This will also not stand up to court challenge under the Supreme Court's Bruen decision as there was no history or tradition of taking away a person's right to keep and bear arms over misdemeanor battery of anyone. | History
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Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Permits the governing board of a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy prohibiting the carrying of any firearm, ammunition, or components or combination thereof within any building owned or operated by such public institution of higher education. The bill allows such policy to include security measures that are designed to reasonably prevent the unauthorized access of buildings that are open to the public. Finally, the bill exempts certain activities, defined in the bill, operated at public or private institutions of higher education from any policy created by a governing board. This bill is identical to SB 1182 . VCDL Comments This bill restricts firearms at public institutions of higher education by requiring such firearms be part of an authorized program or activity inside a building. A solution in search of a problem. Higher education students are adults and have a right to self-defense. | History
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Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide to the transferee a copy of the form certifying that such person does not possess any firearms or that all firearms possessed by such person have been surrendered, sold, or transferred. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from such person if such law-enforcement officer has reason to believe that such person has not relinquished all firearms in his possession. This bill is identical to SB 744 . VCDL Comments This bill requires a person with a protective order against them or a person with a domestic violence conviction to surrender, sell, or turn their guns over to someone 21-years-old or older and someone who does not live with them. It requires the person to be advised that if a police officer believes they have not turned over all their guns, that the officer can get a search warrant to look for any such guns. There are multiple problems with the bill as written. If a husband and wife co-own a shotgun for home defense, for example, and the husband gets a protective order issued against him, the wife would no longer have access to that co-owned shotgun. That punishes the wife and needlessly endangers her life. There is also the question of not allowing a person 18 to 20-years-old to retain the guns. A person in that age range can legally possess rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Young adults should be able to hold the guns. | History
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Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to SB 1110 . VCDL Comments This bill prohibits firearms in facilities that provide mental health services or developmental services, including hospitals, emergency departments, or emergency medical care facilities, if they offer such services. Disarming visitors and guests, including concealed handgun permit holders, at such facilities violates their right to protect themselves in an emergency. A U.S. District Court in the 2nd Circuit has restrained enforcement of just such a law for being unconstitutional under New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen Supreme Court ruling. | History
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Firearm locking device required for sale or transfer of firearm; warning against accessibility to children; penalty. Makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for any licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer any firearm to any person other than a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer unless the transferee is provided with a locking device for that firearm and the firearm is accompanied by a warning, in conspicuous and legible type in capital letters printed on a separate sheet of paper included within the packaging enclosing the firearm, that firearms should be locked and kept away from children and that there may be civil and criminal liability for failing to do so. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement and governmental agencies. VCDL Comments This bill requires gun dealers to provide a handgun locking-device for handgun sales, along with a warning message in the box. None of this is necessary as federal law already requires a locking device be supplied by dealers for handgun purchases. The federal government also provides a safety brochure that is required to be available to purchasers. Is the State going provide the stickers and warning papers to dealers, so they don't have to bear the additional cost for those items? Should the taxpayer have to bear this unnecessary expense? This bill would also add an additional cost for a locking device to those doing a private sale under the current Universal Background Check requirement. Oddly, the bill exempts sales to law enforcement. Since this bill is supposed to be about safety, are law enforcement families not worthy of being protected, too? | History
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Possession or transportation of firearms, firearms ammunition, stun weapons, or explosives or carrying concealed weapons by persons convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person who has been convicted, on or after July 1, 2025, of assault or assault and battery if it appears on the face of the warrant upon such conviction that such person intentionally selected the person against whom the offense was committed because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or ethnic or national origin from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting any firearm or ammunition for a firearm, any stun weapon, or any explosive material or carrying a concealed weapon, a violation of which is a Class 1 misdemeanor. VCDL Comments This bill prohibits a person convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime from being able to have firearms. Misdemeanors should never take away a person's civil rights. The bill is unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court's New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision. | History
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Bills We Oppose
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Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; and (iv) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly or recklessly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county or city attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. VCDL Comments This bill allows one of the most highly regulated industries, the firearms industry, to be sued civilly for a variety of already illegal actions. It also holds the manufacturers and sellers of even the most benign of firearm accessories, like a butt stock or a gun case, liable to a civil lawsuit if it doesn't 'properly' protect that item from theft or misuse by a criminal. How could a firearm accessory seller reasonably know if they were selling a gun sling to a prohibited person? This bill is designed to have a chilling effect on all aspects of the firearms industry. At a time when the federal government is pulling FFL licenses for even the tiniest and most benign of paperwork mistakes, this bill is just piling on with more unreasonable ways to destroy the firearm industry. | History
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Bills We Are Currently Neutral On
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School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in relevant law, present in the household and (ii) the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to HB 1678 . VCDL Comments This bill requires schools to notify parents by text and on the school's website, within 30-days of the start of school, that the parents are responsible for making sure they have secured their firearms from their children, as required under 18.2-56.2. | History
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Threats to discharge a firearm within or at buildings or means of transportation; penalties. Provides that any person (i) who makes and communicates to another by any means any threat to bomb, burn, destroy, discharge a firearm within or at, or in any manner damage any place of assembly, building or other structure, or means of transportation or (ii) who communicates to another, by any means, information, knowing the same to be false, as to the existence of any peril of bombing, burning, destruction, discharging of a firearm within or at, or damage to any such place of assembly, building or other structure, or means of transportation is guilty of a Class 5 felony, provided, however, that if such person is under 18 years of age, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under current law, any person 15 years of age or older (a) who makes and communicates to another by any means any threat to bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damage any place of assembly, building or other structure, or means of transportation or (b) who communicates to another, by any means, information, knowing the same to be false, as to the existence of any peril of bombing, burning, destruction, or damage to any such place of assembly, building or other structure, or means of transportation is guilty of a Class 5 felony. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference. VCDL Comments This bill adds 'discharge a firearm within or at' to list of threats made or communicated to another, such as to do a bombing or doing any form of damage, to any place of assembly, building or other structure, or any means of transportation. It also makes it a crime to falsely report such threats. | History
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School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in relevant law, present in the household and (ii) the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to SB 1048 . VCDL Comments This bill requires schools to notify parents by text and on the school's website, within 30-days of the start of school, that the parents are responsible for making sure they have secured their firearms from their children, as required under 18.2-56.2. | History
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Bills That Have Been Rolled Into Other Bills, Continued to Next Year, Withdrawn or Killed
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School safety; employment of school security officers; criteria. Modifies the criteria that an individual employed as a school security officer, as defined by applicable law, must satisfy in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by eliminating the requirement that within 10 years immediately prior to being hired, he was either an active law-enforcement officer, as defined by applicable law, in the Commonwealth or was employed by a law-enforcement agency of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof. The bill instead requires any such individual to be age 75 or younger at the time he is hired to be a school security officer, in addition to the other requirements set forth in applicable law, in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties. VCDL Comments This bill removes the requirement that a school security officer must have been an active law-enforcement officer within the previous ten years to be hired by a school. The bill also requires the school security officer be no older than 75. Making it easier for a school to find security officers makes our schools safer. | History
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Concealed handgun permits; minimum age requirement. Reduces from 21 years of age to 18 years of age the minimum age requirement for resident and nonresident concealed handgun permits. VCDL Comments This bill lowers the age to get a concealed handgun permit from 21 to 18-years-old. This is consistent with recent court rulings that 18 to 20-year-olds have a constitutional right to purchase handguns from federally licensed dealers and have a right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment. Currently 17 states allow those 18-years-old and older to carry a concealed handgun (CA, DE, ID, IN, KS, LA, ME, MT, ND, NH, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, and WV) and 2 states that allow those 19-years-old and older to carry a concealed handgun (AL, MO). | History
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Nonresident concealed handgun permits. Requires the Department of State Police to immediately issue a nonresident concealed handgun permit after 90 days from the receipt of the application for such permit if, within that 90-day period, the Department has not issued such permit or determined that the applicant is disqualified from receiving such permit. The bill further requires the Department to revoke such permit if the applicant is later found by the Department to be disqualified from receiving such permit. VCDL Comments This bill sets 90 days as the maximum number of days that the Virginia State Police can take when processing a non-resident concealed handgun permit. If the permit has not yet been approved after 90 days, then the permit is issued at that point. If the applicant is later found to be disqualified, the permit is revoked, and the applicant has to return it. Currently there is no limit and people have had to wait well over 6 to 8 months to get a permit issued! In fact, in June of 2021 the State Police had this on their website: "DUE TO A HIGH VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS, THE CURRENT PROCESSING TIME FOR NONRESIDENT CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS IS 5 TO 6 MONTHS." No other state that issues non-resident permits has an unlimited time to do so! The maximum time for other states to issue a non-resident permit runs from 14 days to 90 days. As a reference, residents pay a maximum of $50 and the permit must be issued in 45 days. The non-resident permit fee is $100. 90 days is more than sufficient for the State Police to issue a non-resident permit. | History
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Elections; general provisions; prohibited area; 100 feet. Increases from 40 feet to 100 feet the areas around polling places, certain electoral board meetings, and recount locations within which certain activities or conduct are prohibited. VCDL Comments This bill expands the prohibition on the carry of firearms from 40 feet to 150 feet outside of a polling place. Even 40 feet was too much considering that there was never an issue with citizens lawfully carrying a firearm for self-defense at polling places. This bill will increase the chance of innocent gun owners being entrapped if carrying a firearm and unaware of the arbitrary boundary set in this bill. | History
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Carrying a firearm or explosive material into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exception for rest areas. Provides that the prohibition on carrying a firearm or explosive material in any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth does not apply to any rest area. VCDL Comments This bill exempts highway rest areas from the state agency gun ban. Since this gun ban on rest areas has been in place, 4 people were shot in a rest area on I-81: https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-rest-stop-shooting-hospital-suspect-found-dead-police. People have been stabbed at rest stops: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/crime/sheriff-17-year-old-stabbed-at-virginia-rest-stop/291-504255229 and https://patch.com/virginia/manassas/suicide-linked-manassas-rest-area-stabbing-state-police. According to the website used by the Virginia State Police for criminal statistics, https://va.beyond2020.com/, there were 66 rest area crimes in 2020, 57 in 2021, 82 in 2022, and 69 in 2023. Those crimes include aggravated assault, negligent manslaughter, kidnapping/abduction, forceable rape, forceable sodomy, and forceable fondling. | History
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Firearms-related offenses ; mandatory minimum sentences; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentences for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies. VCDL Comments This bill , raises the mandatory minimum sentence for a repeat violent predator who uses a firearm in commission of a violent crime from 5 years to 10 years. Locking repeat violent offenders away from the general public for extended periods of time will lower violent crime rates. | History
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Firearm purchases; permit to purchase a firearm required; penalties. Requires any person purchasing a firearm from a firearms dealer to present a valid permit issued by the Department of State Police that allows the holder to purchase a firearm. The bill prohibits a firearms dealer from selling, renting, trading, or transferring from his inventory any firearm to any person until he has received such permit. The bill sets forth the procedures to apply for the permit and prohibits the permitting of any person (i) who is younger than 21 years of age; (ii) who is prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; (iii) who, within the two years prior to the date of application, has been convicted of any offense against a person that is an act of violence, force, or threat or a firearm-related offense that is punished as a Class 1 misdemeanor; (iv) who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance; (v) who, within the two years prior to the date of application, has not completed a firearms safety or training course or class offered to the public by a law-enforcement agency, institution of higher education, or private or public institution or organization or by a firearms training school utilizing instructors certified or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, and with a required curriculum, detailed in the bill; or (vi) for whom it would not be in the interest of the public health, safety, or welfare of the Commonwealth as determined by the Department of State Police to obtain a permit because the person is found to be lacking in essential character or temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm. The bill provides that such permit is valid for five years from the date of issuance. The bill details reasons for revocation of a permit and provides that any person who fails to return a revoked permit to the Superintendent of State Police within five days' notice of revocation is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also states that any person who willfully and intentionally makes a materially false statement on the application form for a permit is guilty of a Class 5 felony. VCDL Comments This bill requires a person to have a permit to purchase a firearm. To qualify for a permit, the applicant must have had firearms training or show firearms competence within the last 2 years. Persons under 21-years-old cannot apply for a permit and are thus prohibited from buying firearms. The applicant is required to answer substantially the same question as they will have to answer when purchasing a firearm and they will also have to submit to being fingerprinted. This bill adds new disqualifications for purchasing and possessing a firearm. A person who is 'lacking in essential character or temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm' can be denied a permit. A similar, but far less egregious law in Maryland was struck down by the courts as unconstitutional under the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen Supreme Court ruling. This bill violates the Constitution and the basic civil rights of the citizens of Virginia in so many ways as to be laughable. Who gets to decide if a person is 'lacking in essential character or temperament necessary to be entrusted with a firearm?' While Stalin and other tyrants would love this bill, it is not something that is acceptable in the United States or in the Commonwealth. | History
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Carrying concealed weapons; exceptions; penalty. Adds any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of compressed air to the list of concealed weapons the carrying of which is prohibited in public. VCDL Comments This bill makes it illegal to carry pistol, revolver, or other weapon powered by compressed air, even with a concealed handgun permit. This bill will negatively affect people carrying air-powered, less-lethal pistols for self-defense, such as a Byrna. It will also affect toy guns, such as nerf guns, airsoft guns, and BB and pellet guns. Lots of kids and peaceful adults headed to jail because they concealed an air gun! | History
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Renewal of concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Provides that a person who was previously issued a concealed handgun permit is not required to provide any proof of training or demonstration of competence to be issued a renewal permit. VCDL Comments This bill clarifies that a person who is renewing a concealed handgun permit does not have to provide any proof of training or demonstration of competence. This corrects a problem with some judges misreading the law. | History
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Fees for concealed handgun permits. Reduces from $50 to $25 the total amount assessed for processing an application for a concealed handgun permit by reducing the total amount charged by the local law-enforcement agency from $35 to $10. VCDL Comments This bill lowers the maximum concealed handgun permit fee from $50 to $25, by lowering the maximum local law-enforcement can charge for the background check from $35 to $10. Originally the maximum permit fee was set at $50, which included approximately $25 to go to the FBI for fingerprinting applicants. In 2012 the General Assembly repealed the fingerprinting requirement, but never got around to reducing the maximum permit fee accordingly. Clearly this change is long overdue. Background checks are now quick and easy for most applicants, causing many sheriffs in Virginia to do the background checks for free. $10 should more than cover the costs of the background check. | History
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Secure storage of firearms; penalties. Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who fails to securely store a firearm on any premises where such person knows, or reasonably should know, that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is, or is likely to be, present. The bill increases the penalty to a Class 1 misdemeanor if a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm obtains such firearm. The bill includes certain exceptions and requires firearms dealers to post a notice stating firearm storage requirements and the penalty for improperly storing such firearms. The bill also creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who fails to report to law enforcement the theft or loss of a firearm from a vehicle and a Class 1 misdemeanor if another person obtains such firearm. Finally, the bill requires the Superintendent of State Police, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Health, to create a public awareness campaign on the importance of the secure storage of firearms by January 1, 2026. VCDL Comments This bill requires all firearms in a home, that are not being carried on or about a person, to be unloaded and placed in a locked container if there is a minor in the home or if there is a prohibited person in the home. A gun may only be stored loaded if it is in a biometric safe. Guns left in a vehicle must be secured in a locked box or container that is not visible from outside the vehicle, must be affixed to the vehicle, and the vehicle must be locked, too. Glove boxes and consoles cannot be used unless specifically designed for gun storage. Gun dealers must post signage about the law and there is also a provision to educate the public on firearm storage. Biometric safes are more expensive than non-biometric safes. Biometric safes can be unreliable when being used under stress and require batteries to work. Why are biometric safes the only option for storing a loaded firearm? This bill punishes the victim if their gun is stolen from a vehicle and the firearm is not stored per the requirements of this bill. Not all lock boxes have a way to be affixed to a vehicle. Not all lock boxes can be easily hidden. If a person is a passenger in someone else's vehicle and must leave their gun in the car to use a restroom at a Virginia rest area, for example, they would have no way to comply with this bill. | History
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Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; civil penalty. Provides that no person shall leave, place, or store a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle, as defined in the bill, when such handgun is visible to any person who is outside such unattended motor vehicle. The bill provides that any person violating such prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of no more than $500 and that such unattended motor vehicle may be subject to removal for safekeeping. VCDL Comments This bill creates a $500 civil penalty and subjects a vehicle to towing if a person leaves a visible handgun in an unattended vehicle. The car owner should not be at fault even if a criminal opens an unlocked car door to steal a firearm. It is the criminal who is solely to blame. This bill would put a handgun in the possession of, and under the control of, a tow truck company! Punish criminals and stop harassing good people. | History
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Elections; general provisions; prohibited area. Adds the five feet beyond any area designated for voting outside the polling place to the prohibited area where campaigning and certain other activities are unlawful during elections. VCDL Comments This bill expands the prohibition on the carry of firearms from 40 feet to 150 feet outside of a polling place. Even 40 feet was too much considering that there was never an issue with citizens lawfully carrying a firearm for self-defense at polling places. This bill will increase the chance of innocent gun owners being entrapped if carrying a firearm and unaware of the arbitrary boundary set in this bill. | History
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Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentence for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies. VCDL Comments This bill raises the mandatory minimum sentence for a repeat violent predator who uses a firearm in commission of a violent crime from 5 years to 10 years. Locking repeat violent offenders away from the general public for extended periods of time will lower violent crime rates. | History
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Financial institutions; discrimination prohibited; penalty. Prohibits a financial institution from denying or cancelling its services to or otherwise discriminating against a person in making available services on the basis of factors including the person's political opinions, speech, or affiliations and other factors enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. VCDL Comments This bill prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against lawful gun owners, gun manufacturers, and gun dealers. No one should be discriminated against for lawful, constitutionally protected activities. | History
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Purchase of firearms; special identification without a photograph. Removes 30-day date of issue restriction when establishing personal identification and residence in Virginia with a driver's license or an identification card without a photograph for the purposes of purchasing a firearm. VCDL Comments This bill removes the antiquated requirement that a person who has a new or duplicate driver's license cannot use that driver's license as identification for the purchase of a firearm until at least 30 days have passed since the license was issued. The 30-day requirement was put in place decades ago when the Commonwealth's computer systems were not as sophisticated as they are today and REAL ID didn't yet exist. | History
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Carrying a concealed handgun; permit not required. Allows any person who is otherwise eligible to obtain a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywhere he may lawfully carry a handgun openly within the Commonwealth. VCDL Comments This bill allows someone without a concealed handgun permit, but who would qualify for one, to carry a concealed handgun anywhere they could lawfully open carry a handgun. Twenty-nine states now have Permitless Carry, none have repealed it, and more states are expected to follow suit this year. Neighboring Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia are all Permitless Carry states. | History
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School safety; employment of school security officers; criteria. Modifies the criteria that an individual employed as a school security officer, as defined by applicable law, must satisfy in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by eliminating the requirement that within 10 years immediately prior to being hired, he was either an active law-enforcement officer, as defined by applicable law, in the Commonwealth or was employed by a law-enforcement agency of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof. The bill instead requires any such individual to be age 75 or younger at the time he is hired to be a school security officer, in addition to the other requirements set forth in applicable law, in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties. VCDL Comments This bill removes the requirement that a school security officer must have been an active law-enforcement officer within the previous ten years to be hired by a school. The bill also requires the school security officer be no older than 75. Making it easier for a school to find security officers makes our schools safer. | History
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Carrying a firearm or explosive material into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exceptions for highway rest areas and government stores. Provides that the prohibition on carrying a firearm or explosive material in any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth shall not apply to any highway rest area or government store, as those terms are defined in relevant law. VCDL Comments This bill exempts highway rest areas and ABC stores from the state agency gun ban. Rest areas are open to the public 24 hours a day and have no special security, and do not qualify as a 'sensitive government building.' ABC stores are retail stores, just like any other retail store, and again, are not a 'sensitive government building.' Since this gun ban on rest areas has been in place, 4 people were shot in a rest area on I-81: https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-rest-stop-shooting-hospital-suspect-found-dead-police. People have been stabbed at rest stops: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/crime/sheriff-17-year-old-stabbed-at-virginia-rest-stop/291-504255229 and https://patch.com/virginia/manassas/suicide-linked-manassas-rest-area-stabbing-state-police. According to the website used by the Virginia State Police for criminal statistics, https://va.beyond2020.com/, there were 66 rest area crimes in 2020, 57 in 2021, 82 in 2022, and 69 in 2023. Those crimes include aggravated assault, negligent manslaughter, kidnapping/abduction, forceable rape, forceable sodomy, and forceable fondling. | History
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Concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Removes the requirement that an applicant for a concealed handgun permit demonstrate competence with a handgun in person. The bill adds the option for such applicant to participate in certain firearms safety or training courses or classes via a live class conducted using a two-way electronic video and audio communication system. VCDL Comments This bill allows concealed handgun permit training to be conducted in a live class using technologies like Zoom. Students and teachers can interact in real time, just like they would in an in-person class. Zoom and similar systems have been in use for many years now and are even used in the General Assembly for committee and subcommittee meetings. | History
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Concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Adds a firearms safety or training course conducted by U.S. LawShield or any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a nationally recognized firearms safety training organization to the list of qualifications that satisfy the demonstration of competence requirement for the issuance of a Virginia resident or nonresident concealed handgun permit. The bill also directs the Department of State Police to publish on its public website a list of organizations conducting such trainings that the Department deems adequate. VCDL Comments This bill adds U.S. Lawshield to national gun training organizations that can offer concealed handgun permit training. It also allows the Virginia State Police to have an updated list on its website of other organizations that can offer such training. | History
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