On Monday, February 23, the Senate Courts of Justice committee is scheduled to hear several bills that severely affect sportsmen and gun owners, including turning currently lawful semi-automatic firearms into assault weapons based on “scary” features, banning law-abiding adults under the age of 21 from possessing and purchasing a rifle or shotgun, manufacturer liability, and more.
The Legislative Crossover Deadline
Last week was the legislative crossover deadline. This means any bill that did not pass out of its house of origin is dead for the year. Unfortunately, several anti-sportsmen and firearm-related bills did pass, and the Senate is not slowing down. It is imperative that you use the Take Action button to call and email the members of the committee, urging them to OPPOSE all firearm bills that negatively impact law-abiding hunters and gun owners, specifically HB 21, HB 40, HB 871, HB 969, HB 1524, and HB 1525.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee meeting begins at 8 a.m. in Senate Room A of the General Assembly building. If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch this meeting online.
Summary of Anti-Gun Bills Moving Forward
Below is a list of bills still alive after crossover; several will be heard on Monday.
-  SB 27 / HB 21  establishes what anti-gun legislators consider “standards of responsible conduct” for the firearm industry by requiring implementation of vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the sale, manufacture, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products and creates a civil cause of action, allowing the Attorney General, local attorneys, or injured private individuals to sue firearm businesses for damages and injunctions.
- SB 323 / HB 40 prohibits the manufacture, sale, or possession of firearms, unfinished frames, or receivers that are not imprinted with a valid serial number.
- SB 364 / HB 969 requires taxpayer dollars to establish a state-level infrastructure to address firearm violence through research, data collection, and community-based interventions.
- SB 348 / HB 871 requires firearms and matching ammunition to be stored in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet if a minor (under 18) or a prohibited person is present in the residence.
- SB 643 / HB 1525restricts the purchase, possession, and transportation of handguns and “assault firearms” for law-abiding adults under the age of 21.Â
- SB 727 / HB 1524 prohibits carrying defined “assault firearms” on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park.
- SB 749 / HB 217 bans the future sale, manufacture, and importation of defined “assault firearms” and bans the possession, sale, manufacture, and importation of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Â
- SB 763 imposes an 11% excise tax on the sale of all firearms and ammunition by a dealer in firearms, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor, and designates all funding from the tax to go into a so-called Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.
Defend Your Sporting Heritage
Don’t forget to share this critical alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen and gun owners. You must urge them to use the Take Action button to also urge the committee to OPPOSE HB 21, HB 40, HB 871, HB 969, HB 1524, and HB 1525.
Virginia sportsmen and women and gun owners have reached a defining crossroads. This is not just a policy debate; it is a war of attrition against our heritage. If we surrender to silence, radical extremists will dismantle our traditions piece by piece. We cannot stand by as our way of life is regulated into extinction. Urge your family and friends to fight with you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance today. Mobilize your friends and family to hold the line against this rising tide of activism.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
