Reporting lost or stolen firearms; civil penalty. Requires a person who lawfully possesses a firearm to report the loss or theft of the firearm to any local law-enforcement agency or the Department of State Police within 24 hours after such person discovers the loss or theft or is informed by a person with personal knowledge of the loss or theft. The bill requires the relevant law-enforcement agency to enter the report information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). A violation is punishable by a civil penalty of $50 for a first offense and not less than $100 or more than $250 for any subsequent offense. The bill provides that a person who, in good faith, reports the loss or theft is immune from criminal or civil liability for acts or omissions that result from the loss or theft; the immunity does not apply to a person who knowingly gives a false report. The bill does not apply to the loss or theft of an antique firearm.

School security officers; employment by private or religious schools; carrying a firearm in performance of duties

Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; penalties.  Creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or any law-enforcement officer may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. If an emergency substantial risk order is issued, a judge or magistrate may issue a warrant to remove firearms from such person. An emergency substantial risk warrant shall expire on the fourteenth day following issuance of the order. The bill requires a court hearing in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the person is subject to the order resides within 14 days from issuance of an emergency substantial risk order to determine whether a substantial risk order should be issued. Seized firearms shall be retained by a law-enforcement agency for the duration of an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order or, with court approval, may be transferred to a third party 21 years of age or older chosen by the person from whom they were seized. The bill allows the complainant of the original warrant to file a motion for a hearing to extend the substantial risk order prior to its expiration. The court may extend the order for a period not longer than 180 days. The bill provides that persons who are subject to a substantial risk order, until such order has been dissolved by a court, are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; are disqualified from having a concealed handgun permit; and may not be employed by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill also provides that a person who transfers a firearm to a person he knows has been served with a warrant or who is the subject of an order is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Control of firearms; libraries owned or operated by localities. Allows a locality to adopt an ordinance that prohibits firearms, ammunition, or components or a combination thereof in libraries owned or operated by the locality.

Control of firearms; permitted events. Authorizes any locality by ordinance to prohibit the possession or carrying of firearms, ammunition, or components or any combination thereof in a public space during a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit. The bill contains technical amendments.

Localities; regulation of firearms in government buildings.  Allows localities and authorized agents of such localities to regulate the possession of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof in, or the carrying of such items into, any building owned or used by such locality for governmental purposes. The bill also removes the prohibition against a locality regulating the purchase, transfer, ownership, carrying, storage, or transporting of such items. 

Stolen firearms; penalties. Creates or enhances penalties for crimes related to larceny of a firearm or use of a stolen firearm during the commission of a felony. The bill provides that it is (i) a Class 3 felony with a five-year mandatory minimum sentence to commit larceny of a firearm with the intent to sell or distribute and (ii) a Class 5 felony with a two-year mandatory minimum sentence to sell or distribute, attempt to sell or distribute, or possess with the intent to sell or distribute a stolen firearm. The bill adds a one-year mandatory minimum sentence to the crime of receiving a stolen firearm, which is a Class 6 felony. Finally, the bill increases the mandatory minimum sentences for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, if such firearm was stolen, from three years to five years for a first offense and from five years to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense.

Possession or transportation of firearms following convictions for certain misdemeanor crimes; restoration of rights; penalty.Prohibits a person who has been convicted of assault and battery when the person intentionally selects the person against whom a simple assault is committed because of his race, religious conviction, color, or national origin from possessing or transporting a firearm. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill provides for a process by which a person convicted of such crimes may petition the circuit court for a reinstatement of his right to possess or transport a firearm.

Allowing access to firearms by minors; penalty. Provides that any person who negligently leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person under the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Current law provides that any person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any child under the age of 14 is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Transfer of firearms; criminal history record check delay; penalty. Increases from the end of the next business day to within five business days the time in which State Police must advise a dealer if its records indicate that a firearms buyer or transferee is prohibited from possessing or transporting a firearm and the time after which a dealer may complete the sale or transfer without a response from the State Police. The bill removes the option in current law that a dealer may immediately complete the sale or transfer if he is advised by the State Police that a response will not be available within the required timeframe.

Prohibition of sale, transfer, etc., of certain firearms magazines and firearms; penalties. Prohibits any person from importing, selling, bartering, or transferring a firearms magazine designed to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill prohibits a person from carrying a shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than seven rounds of the longest ammunition for which it is chambered in a public place; under existing law, this prohibition applies only in certain localities and also to assault firearms. The bill redefines "assault firearm" by reducing the number of rounds of ammunition that a firearms magazine will hold in order to be defined as an "assault firearm" from more than 20 to more than 10 and prohibits any person from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting any assault firearm or from knowingly and intentionally carrying about his person, hidden from common observation, an assault firearm. The bill prohibits a dealer from selling, renting, trading, or transferring from his inventory such an assault firearm to any person.

Restoration of firearms rights; report to State Police. Creates a method whereby circuit courts shall report to the Department of State Police the issuance of a restoration order that unconditionally authorizes the possession, transportation, or carrying of a firearm to a person (i) who has been convicted of a felony; (ii) adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense of murder, kidnapping, robbery by the threat or presentation of firearms, or rape; or (iii) under the age of 29 who was adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense of a delinquent act which would be a felony if committed by an adult. The bill provides that if a court enters an order restoring a felon's right, the order shall contain the felon's name and date of birth and the clerk of the court shall certify and forward the restoration order to the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE). The bill provides that the Department of State Police, upon receipt of the restoration order, shall enter the felon's name and description in the CCRE so that law-enforcement personnel accessing the CCRE will be aware of the order's existence. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2020.

Carrying a concealed weapon; firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Provides that any firefighter or person employed as emergency medical services personnel who was previously employed as a law-enforcement officer or as a member of the Virginia National Guard, Armed Forces of the United States, or Armed Forces Reserves of the United States may carry a concealed weapon throughout the Commonwealth without a permit, provided that such firefighter or person employed as emergency medical services personnel has been approved to carry a concealed handgun by his fire chief or emergency medical services chief.

Handguns; limitation on purchases, penalty.

Protective orders; possession of firearms, penalty. Provides that it is a Class 6 felony for a person who is subject to a permanent protective order (i.e., a protective order with a maximum duration of two years) for subjecting another person to an act of violence, force, or threat to possess a firearm while the order is in effect, which is equivalent to the existing penalty for possession of a firearm by a person subject to a permanent protective order for family abuse. The bill also provides that such person may continue to possess and transport a firearm for 24 hours after being served with the order for the purposes of selling or transferring the firearm to another person.

Minors; allowing access to firearms, penalty.  Allowing access to firearms by minors; penalty. Provides that any person who leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person under the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Current law provides that any person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any child under the age of 14 is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. The bill contains technical amendments.

Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks, age requirement, penalty. (raises the age to purchase a rifle or shotgun to 21 as well as adding mandatory background check to all transfers with some exceptions.  Anyone who reaches the age of 18, 19, or 20, prior to July 1, 2019 will still be allowed to purchase a shotgun or rifle under this bill.)

Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks, penalty.

Paramilitary activities; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of unlawful paramilitary activity if such person assembles with another person with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons by drilling, parading, or marching with any firearm or explosive or incendiary device or any components or combination thereof. Such unlawful paramilitary activity is punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Licensed family day homes; storage of firearms. Requires that firearms and ammunition in a licensed family day home be stored in a locked closet, cabinet, or container during the family day home's hours of operation unless they are being lawfully carried on an individual's person. The bill requires that the key or combination to such locked storage places be maintained out of the reach of all children in the family day home.

Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks; penalty. Requires a background check for any firearm transfer and directs the Department of State Police (the Department) to establish a process for transferors to obtain such a check from licensed firearms dealers. A transferor who sells a firearm to another person without obtaining the required background check is guilty of a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides that a transferee who receives a firearm from another person without obtaining the required background check is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts transfers (i) between immediate family members; (ii) that occur by operation of law; (iii) by the executor or administrator of an estate or by the trustee of a testamentary trust; (iv) at firearms shows in accordance with law; (v) that are part of a buy-back or give-back program; (vi) of antique firearms; (vii) that occur at a shooting range, shooting gallery, or any other area designed for the purpose of target shooting or for use during target practice, a firearms safety or training course or class, a shooting competition, or any similar lawful activity; or (viii) that are temporary transfers that (a) occur within the continuous presence of the owner of the firearm or (b) are necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. The bill removes the provision that makes background checks of prospective purchasers or transferees at firearms shows voluntary. The bill also provides that the Department shall have three business days to complete a criminal history record information check before a firearm may be transferred.

Protective orders; possession of firearms; surrender or transfer of firearms; penalties. Provides that a court shall order a person subject to a permanent protective order (i.e., a protective order with a maximum duration of two years) to (i) within 24 hours, surrender any firearm possessed by such person to a designated local law-enforcement agency, sell or transfer any firearm possessed by such person to a dealer, or sell or transfer any firearm possessed by such person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person will not allow the person subject to a protective order to exert any influence or control over the sold or transferred firearm, or (ii) certify in writing that such person does not possess any firearms and file such certification with the clerk of the court that entered the protective order within 48 hours after being served with a protective order. The bill provides that within 48 hours after surrendering or selling or transferring all firearms, such person must certify in writing that all firearms possessed by such person have either been surrendered or sold or transferred and file such certification with the clerk of the court that entered the protective order. The bill also provides that any person subject to a protective order who fails to certify in writing that all firearms possessed by such person have either been surrendered or sold or transferred or that such person does not possess any firearms is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill provides procedures for designating a local law-enforcement agency to receive and store firearms as well as a process to return such surrendered firearms. The bill also provides that any person who buys or has a firearm transferred to him from a person subject to a permanent protective order and allows the person subject to a protective order to exert any influence or control over the sold or transferred firearm is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Prohibition on carrying of certain firearms in public places; County of Albemarle and City of Charlottesville; penalty. Adds the County of Albemarle and the City of Charlottesville to the list of localities in which it is unlawful for a person to carry certain firearms in public places.