S-4271 : Still Just a Bill

Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act of 2020

This bill imposes requirements related to firearms.

Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first conducts a background check, with some exceptions. Furthermore, a person that is not a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer may not purchase more than one handgun in a 30-day period, with certain exceptions.

The bill also establishes a grant program to help states and Indian tribes implement extreme risk protection order laws and carry out related activities. (An extreme risk protection order is a court-issued order or warrant, with the purpose of reducing firearm-related death or injury, that prohibits a named individual from obtaining or possessing a firearm.)

A person subject to such an order shall be prohibited from receiving, possessing, shipping, or transporting a firearm or ammunition.

The bill also makes it unlawful for a person to (1) not notify law enforcement within 48 hours of a firearm becoming lost or stolen, and (2) recklessly leave a loaded and unsecured firearm in a manner that endangers another person under the age of 14.

Furthermore, for the purposes of criminal provisions related to firearms, an intimate partner may be a current or former dating partner. Similarly, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence shall include those involving a dating partner.

A person may not transport or possess a firearm or ammunition if that person (1) is subject to certain ex parte restraining orders, or (2) has been convicted of misdemeanor stalking.