Virginia: 2014 General Assembly Session Convened

NRA-ILA
NRA – ILA

Charlotte, NC –-(Ammoland.com)- January 8th, the Virginia General Assembly convened its 2014 legislative session.  Your NRA-ILA will be monitoring and reporting on all pro-/anti-gun and pro-/anti-hunting bills throughout this session.

As of today, the following legislation has been introduced:

  • House Bill 8: Sponsored by Delegate Lee Ware (R-65), HB 8 decreases the local law enforcement background investigation fee from $35 dollars to $10 thereby reducing the total fee for a concealed handgun permit from $50 to $25.
  • House Bill 102: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47), HB 102 prohibits the possession of  firearms in state legislative buildings.
  • House Bill 337: Sponsored by Delegate Michael Webert (R-18), HB 337 establishes an Active Shooter Local Law-Enforcement Training Grant Fund to provide funding to localities with smaller populations and fewer resources for training in active shooter situations.
  • House Bill 448: Sponsored by Delegate Rob Bell (R-58), HB 448 provides a mechanism for reporting when a circuit court restores a felon’s right to possess a firearm to the State Police.
  • House Bill 43: Sponsored by Delegate Bob Marshall (R-13), HB 43 would prevent any agency, political subdivision or employee of Virginia from assisting the federal government in any way that infringes on the individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

The following bills seek to reform concealed carry:

  • Senate Bill 396: Sponsored by Senator Jill Vogel (R-27), SB 396 provides that a licensed firearms dealer does not have to have a criminal background check through the Virginia Firearm Transaction Program performed to determine a person’s eligibility to purchase a firearm if the purchaser possesses a valid concealed handgun permit and presents photo-identification.
  • House Bill 21: Sponsored by Delegate Danny Marshall (R-13), HB 21 would require every school board to designate at least one qualified person for every school in the district who, upon application with the school board, may carry a concealed handgun on school property.
  • House Bill 100: Sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), HB 100 provides that any references to the issuance of a concealed handgun before July 1, 2008 are exempt from the requirement that such orders be withheld from public disclosure and also directs circuit court clerks to issue replacement permits to permit holders who undergo a lawful name change.
  • House Bill 317: Sponsored by Delegate Mark Berg (R-29), HB 317 provides that a person who holds a valid concealed handgun permit may lawfully possess or transport a concealed handgun into any air carrier airport terminal.
  • House Bill 357: Sponsored by Delegate Rich Anderson (R-51), HB 357 allows a clerk of a circuit court to disclose information contained in a concealed handgun permit application to the applicant.
  • House Bill 639: Sponsored by Delegate Jeff Campbell (R-6), HB 639 allows any resident 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 in the Commonwealth.
  • House Bill 644: Sponsored by Delegate Jeff Campbell (R-6), HB 644 provides for the issuance of concealed handgun permits for Virginia residents that do not expire.
  • House Bill 646: Sponsored by Delegate Jeff Campbell (R-6), HB 646 provides that no fees shall be charged for a replacement concealed handgun permit because the permit holder has changed his address or to replace a lost or destroyed permit.
  • House Bill 695: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Luke Torian (D-52), HB 695 makes various changes to the types of training courses permitted to satisfy the requirement to display competence with a handgun to obtain a resident or non-resident concealed handgun permit.
  • House Bill 705: Sponsored by Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15), HB 705 eliminates certain requirements for an out-of-state concealed handgun permit to be recognized in Virginia.
  • House Bill 714: Sponsored by Delegate Jeff Campbell (R-6), HB 714 provides that a person who has previously been issued a concealed handgun permit does not have to pay any fees to renew such permit.
  • House Bill 736: Sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), HB 736 provides for the issuance of concealed handgun permits that do not expire to Virginia residents.
  • Senate Bill 368: Sponsored by Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 368 provides that lawful concealed carry permit holders shall not be subject to the provisions of certain local ordinances.

 

The following bills relate to specific classes of individuals owning and possessing firearms:

  • House Bill 48: Sponsored by Delegate Marcus Simon (D-53), HB 48 prohibits any person who is convicted of certain crimes from possessing, transporting or carrying a firearm for a period of five years following a conviction; provides that a violation would constitute a Class 6 felony and provides for the forfeiture of firearms.
  • House Bill 114: Sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), HB 114 eliminates the crimes of possession on the property of a private or religious school.
  • House Resolution 7: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47), HR 7 establishes a rule that prohibits firearms on the floor of the House of Delegates.

The following bills related to hunting have been introduced:

  • Senate Bill 154: Sponsored by Senator Phil Puckett (D-38), SB 154 allows hunting on Sundays on private property or open water only, family only or with written permission from the owner in hand. Additionally, there would be no hunting with dogs and no hunting within 200 yards of a church on Sundays.
  • House Bill 127: Sponsored by Delegate Ed Scott (R-30), HB 127 allows persons to hunt big game with muzzleloading pistols of a caliber of .45 or greater where and in those seasons when the use of muzzleloading rifles is permitted.
  • House Bill 307: Sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), HB 307 permits local school boards to provide after-school hunter safety education programs for students grades seven through 12 at the cost of the participant.
  • House Bill 715: Sponsored by Delegate Tommy Wright (R-61), HB 715 establishes a new combined license for persons hunting with a bow and arrow or a crossbow.
  • Senate Bill 9: Sponsored by Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 9 would make it lawful to hunt or kill coyotes on Sundays.
  • Senate Bill 13: Sponsored by Senator Tom Garrett (R-22), SB 13 would require a hunter to make a good faith effort to obtain permission from the landowner, his agent, or a person occupying a residence located on the property before entering the property to retrieve his hunting dogs, falcons, hawks, or owls from the property.
  • Senate Bill 42: Sponsored by Senator David Marsden (D-37), SB 42 establishes a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who erects or maintains an enclosure for the purpose of hunting a fox or coyote with dogs.
  • Senate Bill 145: Sponsored by Senator Richard Stuart (R-28), SB 145 establishes a special $10 license for hunting foxes with hounds but without firearms and exempts the licensee from the requirement to complete a hunter education program.
  • Senate Bill 371: Sponsored by Senator Jeff McWaters (R-8), SB 371 allows the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to issue hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses valid for one year from a future effective date.

The following bills relating to regulation of firearm sales and transfers have been introduced:

  • House Bill 61: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Delores McQuinn (D-70), HB 61 prohibits the sale of any firearm by a federally licensed firearms dealer to any out-of-state resident.
  • House Bill 535: Sponsored by anti-gun Delegate Ken Plum (D-36), HB 535 requires that a criminal history record information check be performed on the prospective transferee before a vendor may transfer firearms at a gun show.
  • Senate Bill 39: Sponsored by anti-gun Senator David Marsden (D-37), SB 39 requires that a criminal history record information check be performed on the prospective transferee before the vendor may transfer firearms at a gun show.
  • Senate Bill 287: Sponsored by Senator Creigh Deeds (D-25), SB 287 provides that any person who sells or otherwise transfers a firearm to a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm by state or federal law is guilty of a Class 6 felony if the transferor does not obtain a background check from a licensed firearms dealer.
  • Senate Bill 377: Sponsored by Senator Bryce Reeves (R-17), SB 377 requires firearm dealers to go through a process administered by the State Police to determine whether a firearm that is being transferred to the dealer by a person other than a dealer, importer or manufacturer can be lawfully transferred.

Your NRA-ILA will keep you informed as these bills progress throughout this important legislative session so that you can contact your state legislators and urge them to support the bills that advance your Second Amendment rights and oppose those bills that would take away those rights.  Also, please continue to check your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for updates as well as additional legislation.

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org