Richmond, Virginia—Several bills to prevent gun violence have passed the House of Delegates today and will now head to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. Gun violence fatalities have been on the rise in Virginia, and gun fatalities are now the leading cause of death in people aged 1-17. By passing these commonsense bills, potentially countless lives will be saved.

“We’re thrilled that these commonsense gun violence prevention bills have passed both the House of Delegates and State Senate despite reflexive opposition from Republicans. These bills will save lives and make our communities safer,” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said. “Every time we turn around, there is a new mass shooting, and it’s shameful how numb we’ve become about it. It’s time to take action and ensure that not one more person loses their life in a senseless act of preventable violence. We will continue to follow these bills as they make their way through the legislative process, and we strongly urge Governor Youngkin to sign these bills into law.” 

Background:

SB44, sponsored by Senator Schuyler VanValekenburg, passed by a margin of 55-43. The bill makes responsible adults liable when a minor who is a threat to themselves or others accesses a firearm. 

SB47, sponsored by Senator Barbara Favola and Jennifer Carroll Foy, passed by a margin of 52-47. The bill limits the private transfer of firearms to people who are not legally allowed to purchase guns from dealers. 

SB99, sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin, passed by a margin of 52-48. The bill would limit carrying assault weapons in public spaces. 

SB100, also sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin, passed by a margin of 52-48. The bill would ban plastic and unserialized guns. These guns can be created using 3D printers and are then untraceable and undetectable by metal detectors. 

SB273, sponsored by Senator Suhas Subramanyan, passed by a margin of 51-49. This bill would extend the waiting period before a person can purchase a gun to 5 days, allowing more time for the completion of a background check. 

SB327, sponsored by Senator Saddam Salim, passed by a margin of 52-48. The bill would create limits on the types of guns that could be purchased by minors. 

SB368, sponsored by Senator Jennifer Boysko, passed by a margin of 51-49. It requires safe storage of firearms in homes with minors or people who are not legally allowed to possess weapons. 

SB383, sponsored by Senator Creigh Deeds, passed by a margin of 52-48. The bill prohibits people from carrying weapons in Capitol Square, state-owned buildings and public universities

SB447, sponsored by Senator David Marsden, and HB1462, sponsored by Delegate Amy Laufer, passed by a margin of 51-49 in the House and 21-19 in the Senate, respectively. The two bills prohibit people from leaving firearms visible and unattended in their vehicles (except in some cases.) 

SB491, sponsored by Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy, passed by a margin of 51-49. The bill creates standards of responsible conduct for firearms manufacturers. 

SB515, sponsored by Senator Angelia Williams Graves, passed by a margin of 52-48. The bill keeps firearms out of hospitals that provide mental health services.

SB642, sponsored by Senator Russet Perry, passed by a margin of 52-47. The bill closes the so-called “boyfriend loophole” by extending the prohibitions on gun ownership by domestic abusers to intimate partners.