Virginia: House Passes Anti-Gun Bills

On January 27^th, the Virginia House of Delegates quickly passed the anti-gun bills that they had received from committees just days prior. They will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

House Bill 2128 allows for a five business day delay to be imposed on firearm transfers. Current law allows state police up to three business days to complete background checks on prospective firearm buyers. If three business days elapse without the state police making a determination, a licensed firearm dealer may, at their discretion, proceed with a sale. Virginia’s existing three business day delay for what is supposed to be an instant background check done by computers was considered appropriate to the technology level when it was created decades ago. It is also what federal law considers appropriate for firearm dealers in other states that use the federal NICS background check system.

House Bill 2276 essentially ends the centuries-old practice of manufacturing firearms for personal use by imposing requirements that far exceed those in federal law. It prohibits private individuals from possessing certain unregulated components commonly used by hobbyists to make their own firearms. It also prohibits private individuals from possessing firearms that do not have a “serial number issued by a federal firearms importer or federal firearms manufacturer in compliance with all federal laws and regulations.” While the bill was amended to exempt pre-1968 firearms, it still bans existing home built firearms made in the five decades since that are currently legal under federal law.

House Bill 2295 bans firearms from Capitol Square and any building or parking facility owned or leased by the Commonwealth. Last year, Governor Ralph Northam used an emergency declaration to fence-off Capitol Square and make it a gun-free zone, claiming it was necessary during a peaceful demonstration against anti-gun bills. Without that emergency declaration, Capitol Square is simply an open, publicly accessible part of the city of Richmond. Citizens regularly go there to conduct business or see tourist attractions. It is unreasonable for the law to create an arbitrary boundary for such an open area where law-abiding citizens are disarmed, while zero measures are taken to prevent criminals from entering.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates.