HB 217: Assault firearms & certain ammunition feeding devices; purchase, sale, etc., prohibited, penalties. - Virginia

Firearms Subcommittee Substitute → Courts of Justice Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Virginia's assault weapon and large capacity magazine laws to increase the threshold for prohibited magazine capacity from 10 to 15 rounds, expand exemptions for federal firearms licensees, and add new exceptions for law enforcement and firing ranges. The changes aim to balance public safety restrictions with operational needs for licensed dealers and government entities.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of exemptions to include federal firearms licensees, law enforcement officers, and specific firing range operations, while tightening the definition of prohibited magazines to cover devices holding more than 15 rounds instead of 10.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the prohibited magazine capacity threshold from more than 10 rounds to more than 15 rounds for both assault firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

ELIGIBILITY

Added 'federal firearms licensee' and 'law-enforcement officer' as specific categories of people exempt from certain import, sale, and transfer prohibitions.

Created a new exemption allowing the temporary loan of assault firearms by federally licensed firing ranges for target shooting and training.

Expanded the list of exempted individuals to include security personnel at contracted defense facilities and clarified exemptions for retired law enforcement officers.

DEFINITION

Added a formal definition for 'federal firearms licensee' to clarify the scope of exemptions for dealers, importers, and manufacturers.

TIMELINE

Added a grandfathering provision allowing the import, sale, and transfer of large capacity magazines by individuals who lawfully possessed them before July 1, 2026.

Finance and Appropriations Substitute → Governor Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was converted from a Senate substitute version to a Governor substitute version, primarily changing the header information and adding page numbers and timestamps. The substantive legislative text regarding assault firearm definitions, purchase restrictions, and penalties remains identical.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect that the Governor proposed the substitute on April 13, 2026, instead of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations proposing it on March 4, 2026.

Page numbers, line numbers, and a timestamp (4/14/26 08:29) were inserted into the text, likely for tracking purposes during the legislative process.

The bill number tracking code was changed from 26109164D to 26110146D to reflect the new version status.

Enrolled → Public Safety Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill transitions from a finalized 'Enrolled' version to a 'Public Safety Substitute' draft, indicating it is being returned to the legislature for further review or amendment. The substantive legal text regarding assault firearm bans and penalties appears identical in both versions, but the new version includes updated formatting, a specific House committee attribution, and a revised effective date of July 1, 2026, replacing the previous 2026 session header.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on prohibiting the importation, sale, and transfer of assault firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, with no changes to the core prohibitions or penalties.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the assault firearm ban was updated to July 1, 2026, and the document header was changed from a generic '2026 Session' to a specific 'Public Safety Substitute' draft offered for consideration on January 29, 2026.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from a standard enrolled act to a draft substitute bill, including the addition of a House Committee on Public Safety attribution and page numbering.

ELIGIBILITY

Minor wording adjustments were made to exemptions, such as clarifying that firearm manufacturers must be properly licensed and expanding the list of permitted recipients for manufacturer sales to include law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth.

Introduced → Enrolled · 7 edits · Mar 31, 2026

MODERATE

This bill amends Virginia's firearm laws to prohibit the sale, purchase, and transfer of 'assault firearms' by anyone, with specific exceptions for law enforcement, military, and federally licensed dealers. It also establishes a new age requirement of 21 to buy or possess these firearms and bans the sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines. The legislation significantly expands the list of people disqualified from obtaining a concealed handgun permit and adds new penalties for violations.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of prohibited conduct to include importation, manufacture, and possession of assault firearms, which were not previously covered by the same strict prohibitions. It also broadens the definition of who is disqualified from carrying a concealed weapon.

REQUIREMENT

Prohibits the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of assault firearms for any person, creating a Class 1 misdemeanor offense.

Establishes a minimum age of 21 for purchasing or possessing assault firearms, with specific exemptions for those who legally owned them before the ban took effect.

Requires dealers to collect a $2 fee per transaction for background checks on assault firearm sales to fund the State Police's administrative costs.

DEFINITION

Adds a new definition for 'large capacity ammunition feeding device' (magazines holding more than 10 rounds) and prohibits their sale, transfer, or importation.

ELIGIBILITY

Expands the list of individuals disqualified from obtaining a concealed handgun permit to include those convicted of assault, stalking, or drug offenses, as well as those with pending felony charges.

ENFORCEMENT

Creates new felony penalties for dealers who sell firearms to prohibited persons and for individuals who attempt to bypass background checks.

EXEMPTIONS

Adds new exemptions for the sale of assault firearms to immediate family members and for the temporary loan of these firearms at federally licensed firing ranges.

Courts of Justice Substitute → Finance and Appropriations Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from a Courts of Justice substitute to a Finance and Appropriations substitute, which primarily involved updating the header metadata (committee name, date, and bill number) to reflect the new legislative process. The substantive text of the bill regarding assault firearm prohibitions, background checks, and penalties remained unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's legal provisions did not change; only the administrative header information was updated to reflect the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations.

TECHNICAL

Updated the header to change the proposing committee from 'Courts of Justice' to 'Finance and Appropriations' and the date from February 25 to March 4, 2026.

Changed the bill tracking number from 26108593D to 26109164D.

Adjusted the bill title line to reflect the new committee name.

Public Safety Substitute → Firearms Subcommittee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a standard legislative layout to a 'House Substitute' version, which includes new page headers and a specific bill tracking number (26106682D). The substantive legal text regarding assault firearm bans, permit disqualifications, and dealer background checks appears identical in both versions, with no changes to policy, dates, or penalties.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was changed to include 'House Substitute' headers and a bill tracking number, indicating a procedural revision in how the bill is being tracked or presented, but the actual laws contained within remain unchanged.

Assault firearms & certain ammunition feeding devices; purchase, sale, etc., prohibited, penalties.

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