virginia citizens defense league

Defending Your Right to Defend Yourself

va-alert

Published 1/22/2026

Democrat Delegate Dan Helmer led the charge to kill most of the pro-gun bills tonight in the Public Safety Firearms subcommittee tonight.

As my background is in computer programming, Helmer’s voting is super easy to flowchart:

Does this bill benefit the law-abiding gun owners in Virginia?

If Yes -> Make a motion to kill the bill and then vote to do so.

Else -> Does this bill restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Virginia or, alternatively, does the bill go soft on violent criminals?

If Yes -> Make a motion to pass the bill and then vote to do so.

here is what happened in the house public safety firearms subcommittee on 1/22/26

HB 623, Delegate Cherry, allows Commonwealth Attorneys, or anyone who notifies the Commonwealth Attorney, to petition a court for the return of a confiscated weapon, including a stolen item that was recovered. Delegate Helmer moved to continue the bill to 2027 as he wanted the bill to cover more than weapons. The subcommittee voted to continue the bill.

HB 702, Delegate Cole, creates a gun buy-up program. A substitute bill was presented. The bill makes it safe for a criminal to turn in a firearm used in a crime because he can do so anonymously and, as a bonus, have the state destroy it. Valuable guns would be destroyed, instead of auctioning them to FFLs and putting the money in state coffers. Delegate Helmer moved to delay the bill being heard until next week so it can be “strengthened.” The subcommittee voted to delay the bill being heard.

HB 540, Delegate Hamilton, a woman with a protection order against a violent person, can carry a firearm everywhere they may go while that order is in effect. Delegate Helmer made a motion to kill the bill, and it was killed by the Democrats.

HB 101, Delegate Ballard, allows a person to apply for a CHP online or by other means. Delegate Helmer moved to report the bill and the committee voted 10 to 1 to report.

HB 106, Delegate Ballard, reduces the maximum CHP fee from $50 to $25. Delegate Helmer moved to kill the bill, and it was killed by the Democrats.

HB 691, Delegate Zehr, removes the option for localities to ban guns in parks and at permitted events. Delegate Helmer moved to kill the bill, and it was killed by the Democrats.

HB 692, Delegate Zehr, Delegate Ballard, reduces the maximum CHP fee from $50 to $25. Delegate Clark moved to kill the bill, and it was killed by the Democrats.

HB 696, Delegate Zehr, removes gun ban at rest areas and ABC stores. Delegate Helmer moved to kill the bill, and it was killed by the Democrats.



Here, are the gun bills that have been filed since the last legislative update on 1/16.  As predicted the horrific Permit to Purchase bills (SB 643 and HB 1359) were released late on Lobby Day to keep it low key and not increase our Lobby Day attendance numbers. There is also a bill that expands the locations where you can’t carry a loaded rifle, pistol, or shotgun that has a magazine that can hold more than a certain number of rounds and has certain other cosmetic features (SB 727):

Bills VCDL Strongly Opposes

SB 348, Senator Boysko, 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 they also require batteries to work. Why are biometric safes the only option for storing a loaded firearm? There are plenty of other locking mechanisms for safes that are just as secure.

SB 364, Senator Carroll Foy, creates a state agency named the Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention. 

• The Center 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 “Gun Violence” in the name of the agency gives away the true agenda: “gun 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 “gun violence” is just an excuse to go after firearms with more useless gun control.

SB 496, Senator Marsden, eliminates the ability to transport a long gun to or from a place of purchase or repair! The bill also requires a handgun in an unattended vehicle to be stored in a locked hard-sided container that is placed out of plain view. 

• Long guns cannot be taken home after a purchase, and they can’t be taken to a gunsmith for repair, unless you are careful to keep them constantly in plain view! Not all gun safes can be “hidden from plain view” based on the kind of vehicle or the kind of safe.

SB 643, Senator Surovell, requires a person to have a permit to purchase a firearm (“permit”), which is good for 5 years. To qualify for a permit, the applicant must have had his fingerprints taken and have had firearms training within the last two years. The training must be approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and include live fire of at least 10 rounds. Persons under 21-years-old cannot apply for a permit and are thus prohibited from buying firearms. A person renting a gun, persons with dual residency, and out of state residents purchasing long guns must have a permit. In a private sale, the purchaser must have a verified permit. The State Police can charge whatever fee they feel covers their cost in processing the permit application and can take as long as 45 days to issue the permit. Local law enforcement will be notified that you have been issued or denied a permit. This bill adds new misdemeanor prohibitors from getting a permit. The bill also removes the exemption from One Handgun a Month by CHP holders. 

• This bill will get innocent people killed, as it will take at least two months before a person can purchase their first firearm. If they are purchasing that firearm for urgent self-defense, that is simply too long. The price to get a permit, which will likely be in the hundreds of dollars, will be prohibitive for poor people and is the equivalent of a poll tax. And even with all the hoops to get a permit, even citizens with concealed handgun permits will be limited to one handgun a month. Local law-enforcement will be handed a registry of gun owners. And gun rentals at shooting ranges will not be possible for people who have not yet got their permit or are visiting from out of state or from another country.

SB 727, Senator Jones, prohibits the carry of certain loaded semi-automatic rifles, pistols, or shotguns on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public in the Commonwealth. This used to only apply to the cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, or Virginia Beach and the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, or Prince William. 

• This expansion of the prohibition on the carry of certain firearms is a solution in search of a problem.

SB 763, Senator Williams Graves, creates an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition manufacturers for gross sales into the Commonwealth. 

• Is there going to be an excise tax for book publishers, raising the cost for people who want to exercise their First Amendment rights? This is a “sin tax,” that affects a basic civil right. Owning a gun is not a sin. Guns are used to save hundreds of thousands of lives every year.

HB 1359, Delegate Hope, requires a person to have a permit to purchase a firearm (“permit”), which is good for 5 years. To qualify for a permit, the applicant must have had his fingerprints taken and have had firearms training within the last two years. The training must be approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and include live fire of at least 10 rounds. Persons under 21-years-old cannot apply for a permit and are thus prohibited from buying firearms. A person renting a gun, persons with dual residency, and out of state residents purchasing long guns must have a permit. In a private sale, the purchaser must have a verified permit. The State Police can charge whatever fee they feel covers their cost in processing the permit application and can take as long as 45 days to issue the permit. Local law enforcement will be notified that you have been issued or denied a permit. This bill adds new misdemeanor prohibitors from getting a permit. The bill also removes the exemption from One Handgun a Month by CHP holders. 

• This bill will get innocent people killed, as it will take at least two months before a person can purchase their first firearm. If they are purchasing that firearm for urgent self-defense, that is simply too long. The price to get a permit, which will likely be in the hundreds of dollars, will be prohibitive for poor people and is the equivalent of a poll tax. And even with all the hoops to get a permit, even citizens with concealed handgun permits will be limited to one handgun a month. Local law-enforcement will be handed a registry of gun owners. And gun rentals at shooting ranges will not be possible for people who have not yet got their permit or are visiting from out of state or from another country.

Bills VCDL Opposes

SB 495, Senator Deeds, adds a family or household member, a mental health service provider, or an appointed evaluator from a community services board to the list of people who can petition for a Red Flag order.

• While this bill adds additional people who can petition for a Red Flag order, which invites abuse by those with a grudge and it will discourage people from getting help from a mental health service provider or a community services board, it keeps the important protection requiring police to do an independent investigation to determine if grounds for the petition exist before a petition can be filed.