virginia citizens defense league

Defending Your Right to Defend Yourself

va-alert

Published 1/28/2026

Important changes to gun bills in the Senate Courts of Justice committee from last Monday. 

(It took Legislative Services two days to publish the changes):

SB 749, Senator Salim, “Assault weapon” and “High capacity” magazine ban bill. “Assault weapons” can be possessed, carried, and transported, but CANNOT be bought or sold, effective July 1, 2026! Magazines that hold more than 10 rounds will be contraband on July 1, 2026, with NO grandfathering! For each magazine that holds more than 10 rounds in your possession starting July 1, you could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine).

SB 348, Senator Boysco, now requires that a gun must be on your person, and not just next to you, to not require it to be stored in a locked container at home if a minor or a prohibited person lives with you.

SB 727, Senator Jones, removed handguns from the “assault weapon” class that cannot be carried on a public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, in a park, or in any place open to the public. That leaves rifles and shotguns with that restriction.

SB 496, Senator Marsden, removed the restriction on being able to legally transport a long gun to/from a place of purchase or repair. The bill requires all firearms, not just handguns, to be locked in a hard-sided case in an unattended vehicle, even if they are locked in a vehicle’s trunk. The hard-sided case must be out of view.

This is the status of all the gun bills in the

Senate Courts of Justice committee from last Monday:

SB 78, Senator Diggs, raises the mandatory minimum sentence for a repeat violent predator who uses a firearm in commission of a violent crime from 5 years to 10 years. Defeated on party-line vote.

SB 79, Senator Diggs, exempts highway rest areas from the state agency gun ban. Defeated on party-line vote.

SB 115, Senator Pekarsky, severely restricts concealed handgun permit recognition with other states.  Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 173, Senator Williams Graves, prohibits firearms, or knives with a blade longer than 3.5 inches, in facilities that provide mental health services or developmental services, including hospitals, emergency departments, or emergency medical care facilities, if they offer such services. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 272, Senator Deeds, restricts firearms at public institutions of higher education by requiring such firearms be part of an authorized program or activity inside a building. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 312, Senator Ebbin, bans the carry of “assault weapons” in public areas. Rolled into SB 727.

SB 323, Senator Ebbin, makes unfinished firearm frames and receivers and un-serialized commercially made firearms unlawful to possess, purchase, sell, or transfer unless they are serialized. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 348, Senator Boysko, requires all firearms in a home, that are not being carried on 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. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 496, Senator Marsden, requires firearms in an unattended vehicle to be stored in a locked hard-sided container that is placed out of plain view. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 653, Senator Mulchi, requires that a Red Flag order has a sworn statement from the officer or the alleged abused person specifying the grounds for the order. This bill was withdrawn by Mulchi.

SB 727, Senator Jones, prohibits the carry of certain semi-automatic rifles and 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. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.

SB 749, Senator Salim, prohibits the importation, purchase, sale, or transfer of an “assault firearm” beginning July 1, 2026. It also prohibits purchase, sale, possession, transfer, and transport of an “assault firearm” to anyone under the age of 21. Magazines that hold more than 10 rounds become contraband on July 1, 2026. Reported out on a party-line vote, heads to Finance and Appropriations committee.