Prefiled Virgina Gun Bills Now Online for Viewing
Covington VA –-(Ammoland.com)- The first batch of gun bills is now on the Virginia General Assembly Legislative Services web site. This is the tip of the iceberg and we can expect many more to arrive later this week once the General Assembly is actually in session. As a result I will send updates during the week on the additional bills as they arrive.
Here are the bills that VCDL is currently watching, what they do, and whether we support or oppose them. Some House Republicans and some Senate Democrats have come out swinging for our gun rights.
With an election of both House and Senate coming this November, this could be an interesting session:
- HB 995 – Delegate Nutter – allows a person who has a CHP or who has current or retired military officer identification and who is purchasing an ‘assault weapon’ to be exempt from needing to prove citizenship (with a birth certificate, voter registration, passport, etc.) – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
I have been getting several comments about this bill being discriminatory because it only exempts military officers and not rank-and-file members of the military. I believe the reason for the officers-only wording is that rank-and-file military members don’t necessarily have to be U.S. citizens, but officers must.
- HB 1411 – Delegate Wilt – limits the penalty for reckless handling of a firearm while hunting or trapping to a maximum of five years of prohibition from carrying while hunting/trapping, down from the current one year to LIFE prohibition. However, if the person then hunts during the prohibition period, they can be prohibited from carrying while hunting/trapping for one year to life, up from the current one to five additional years – VCDL Supports this bill
- HB 1422 – Delegate Albo – allows a person to keep one firearm of no more than $3,000 in value if they are subject to a creditor process (updates Virginia’s Homestead laws) – VCDL Supports this bill
- HB 1471 – Delegate Cole- allows a person to keep one firearm for household use if they are subject to a creditor process (updates Virginia’s Homestead laws) – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- HB 1552 – Delegate Cox, J. A. – specifies that the Circuit Court Clerk is to mail a certified concealed handgun permit application to serve as a temporary concealed handgun permit within 5 days of the expiration of the maximum 45-day application processing period – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- SB 754 – Senator Reynolds – is an improvement to current law dealing with abuse-based protective orders, which restrict purchase or transport of firearms. The bill would make such restrictions only after an ACTUAL FINDING of abuse (not just an accusation). However, the bill should be changed to require that the finding of abuse be made at an adjudicatory hearing (so that the order cannot be made “ex parte”) – VCDL Supports, but would Strongly Support with suggested change
- SB 755 – Senator Reynolds – allows someone who has had mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment in a residential setting to petition the Court for restoration of a CHP before the current five year waiting period has expired – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- SB 757 – Senator Reynolds – allows someone on private property to be able to discharge an air gun as long as they have permission from the property owner to do so and reasonable care is taken to ensure the projectile does not cross the bounds of the property. Any local ordinances to the contrary, such as Fairfax County has, would be preempted – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- SB 758 – Senator Reynolds – is an improvement to current law dealing with abuse-based and neglect-based protective orders, which restrict purchase or transport of firearms. The bill would make such restrictions only after an actual finding of both abuse AND neglect (not just an accusation). However, it should be changed to require that the finding of abuse and neglect be made at an adjudicatory hearing (so that the order cannot be made “ex parte”) – VCDL Supports, but would Strongly Support with suggested change
- SB 839 – Senator Petersen – allows a person to keep one firearm for household use if they are subject to a creditor process (updates Virginia’s Homestead laws) – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- SB 850 – Senator Petersen – allows a person to hunt on Sundays – VCDL Strongly Supports this bill
- SJ 307 – Senator McEachen – Senate Joint Resolution which resolves that a Virginia Constitutional Amendment be made that allows NON-VIOLENT felons to get their voting rights back, BUT NOT THEIR FIREARMS RIGHTS BACK, upon completion of their sentence. VCDL Opposes this resolution as introduced because it specifically denies someone their Second Amendment rights, but would Strongly Support it if firearms rights would be restored, too
- HB 1600 – Delegate BaCote – a perennial bill that allows libraries to ban guns – VCDL Strongly Opposes this bill
- HB 1669 – Delegate McClellan – another perennial bill that closes the non-existent “gun show loophole.” It is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to destroy gun shows and register private firearms – VCDL Strongly Opposes this bill
- HB 1699 – Delegate Athey – cleans up conflicting/inconsistent wording dealing with a person who has been acquitted by reason of insanity from certain charges to petition to have his gun rights restored upon discharge from treatment – VCDL Supports this bill
About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org