Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §15.2-915 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§15.2-915. Control of firearms; applicability to authorities and local governmental agencies.
A. No
A locality
shall may
adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution or motion, as permitted by §
15.2-1425, and no an authorized agent of such
locality shall may take
any an
administrative action,
governing the purchase,
possession, transfer,
ownership, carrying, storage or transporting of firearms,
ammunition, or components or combination thereof
other than those expressly authorized by statute. For purposes of this section,
a statute that does not refer to firearms, ammunition, or components or
combination thereof, shall not be construed to provide express authorization. in, or the
carrying of firearms,
ammunition, or components or combination thereof into, any building owned or
used by such locality for governmental purposes.
Nothing in this
section shall prohibit a locality from adopting workplace rules relating to
terms and conditions of employment of the workforce. However, no locality shall
adopt any workplace rule, other than for the purposes of a community services
board or behavioral health authority as defined in §37.2-100, that prevents an
employee of that locality from storing at that locality's workplace a lawfully
possessed firearm and ammunition in a locked private motor vehicle. Nothing in
this section shall prohibit a law-enforcement officer, as defined in §9.1-101,
from acting within the scope of his duties.
The provisions of
this section applicable to a locality shall also apply to any authority or to a
local governmental entity, including a department or agency, but not including
any local or regional jail, juvenile detention facility, or state-governed
entity, department, or agency.
B. A locality may adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution or motion, as permitted by § 15.2-1425, and an authorized agent of such locality may take an administrative action governing the possession of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof in, or the carrying of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof into, a park or recreation area owned or used by such locality for governmental purposes, provided that at each public entrance to such park or recreation area there is (i) at least one law-enforcement officer, as defined in §9.1-101, or armed security officer, as defined in §9.1-138; (ii) at least one metal detection device; and (iii) an inspection area where each person who enters the park or recreation area may have any bag, package, or other container that he is carrying inspected by a law-enforcement officer or armed security officer.
Any ordinance, resolution, or motion adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be posted at each public entrance to each park within the scope of the ordinance during the times when such ordinance, resolution, or motion is in effect.
Any local
ordinance, resolution or motion adopted prior to the effective date of this act
governing the purchase, possession, transfer, ownership, carrying or
transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof,
other than those expressly authorized by statute, is invalid.
C. In addition to
any other relief provided, the court may award reasonable attorney fees,
expenses, and court costs to any person, group, or entity that prevails in an
action challenging (i) an ordinance, resolution, or motion as being in conflict
with this section or (ii) an administrative action taken in bad faith as being
in conflict with this section.
D. For purposes
of this section, "workplace" means "workplace of the
locality."