HB899: Semiautomatic handguns; sale thereof, microstamping.

HB899

HOUSE BILL NO. 899 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 8, 2008 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 7 of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2 a section numbered 18.2-311.3, relating to sale of firearms; microstamping. ---------- Patron-- Scott, J.M. ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 7 of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2 a section numbered 18.2-311.3 as follows:

§ 18.2-311.3. Sale of semiautomatic handguns; microstamping.

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or transfer any semiautomatic handgun manufactured on or after January 1, 2010, that is not equipped with a microscopic array of characters that identify the make, model, and serial number of the handgun, etched or otherwise imprinted in two or more places on the interior surface or working parts of the handgun and that are transferred by imprinting on each cartridge case when the handgun is fired. A violation of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.

2. That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless the Department of State Police certify by regulation that the technology used to create the imprint required by this section is available to more than one handgun manufacturer and is unencumbered by any patent restrictions. The regulation required by this enactment shall not be subject to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

Explanation

For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HB899.

This is the actual text of the bill—the legislation itself. Generally this is amending existing law, proposing the addition or removal of words from laws that are already on the books, but sometimes it’s proposing an entirely new law.

Words that are highlighted in yellow are proposed additions to the existing law, and words that are ~~crossed out in red~~ are proposed to be removed from the existing law.

The numbers with the § symbol before them are references to existing laws, and if you click on them they’ll take you to that part of the law on the state’s website.