HOUSE BILL NO. 895 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 10, 2006 A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-287.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to weapons in certain air carrier airport terminals; concealed handgun permit holders. ---------- Patrons-- Gear and Abbitt ---------- Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 18.2-287.01 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-287.01. Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or transport into any urban air carrier airport terminal in the Commonwealth any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind, (ii) frame, receiver, muffler, silencer, or missile, projectile or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon, and (iii) any other dangerous weapon, including explosives, tasers, stun weapons and those weapons specified in subsection A of § 18.2-308. Any such weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any weapon possessed or transported in violation of this section shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in subsection A of § 18.2-308.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any police officer, sheriff, law-enforcement agent or official, or game warden, or conservator of the peace employed by the air carrier airport, or person with a valid concealed handgun permit issued pursuant to § 18.2-308, nor shall the provisions of this section apply to any passenger of an airline who, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, transports a lawful firearm, weapon, or ammunition into or out of an air carrier airport terminal for the sole purposes, respectively, of (i) presenting such firearm, weapon, or ammunition to U.S. Customs agents in advance of an international flight, in order to comply with federal law, (ii) checking such firearm, weapon, or ammunition with his luggage, or (iii) retrieving such firearm, weapon, or ammunition from the baggage claim area.

C. Any other statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance specifically addressing the possession or transportation of weapons in any airport in the Commonwealth shall be invalid, and this section shall control.

D. For purposes of this section, an urban air carrier airport terminal means any air carrier airport terminal at Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Richmond International Airport, or Norfolk International Airport.