Proposed Virginia Firearm Legislation SB4012
Legislation Overview
Title: Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk, penalties.
Description: Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; 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 search warrant to remove firearms from such person. An emergency substantial risk order 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 order was issued 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, for a substantial risk order and 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. The bill creates a computerized substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued pursuant to provisions in the bill. The bill establishes an appropriation for the fiscal impact of the bill and authorizes the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget to allocate such appropriation among the agencies and programs impacted by the
Session: 2019 Special I
Last Action: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter (9-Y 6-N)
Last Action Date: July 9, 2019
Sponsors
Note: the first sponsor listed is normally the primary sponsor. If a sponsor's name is a hyperlink you can click on it to 'follow the money'.
18 sponsors: George Barker (D); Scott Surovell (D); Jennifer Boysko (D); Rosalyn Dance (D); Creigh Deeds (D); Adam Ebbin (D); John Edwards (D); Barbara Favola (D); Janet Howell (D); Lynwood Lewis (D); Mamie Locke (D); Louise Lucas (D); Dave Marsden (D); Monty Mason (D); Jennifer McClellan (D); Jeremy McPike (D); John Petersen (D); Richard Saslaw (D);
Percentage of Senate sponsoring bill: 45% (18 of 40)
History
| Chamber | Date | Action |
| Senate | Jul 9, 2019 | Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter (9-Y 6-N) |
| Senate | Jul 8, 2019 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 07/09/19 19200144D |
| Senate | Jul 8, 2019 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
Texts
| Type | Date | State Link | Text |
| Prefiled | Jul 8, 2019 | state link | bill text |
Amendments
| Title | Description | Date | State Link | Text | Adopted |
| There are no amendments to this bill at this time | |||||
Votes - Click on description to view vote roll call
| Description | Vote Date | Yea Votes | Nay Votes | No Votes | Absent | Passed |
| Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter (9-Y 6-N) | 07/9/2019 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
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| resort votes by: party yeas nays name | ||||||
Link: link to state bill page
