Handguns; repeals one-gun-a-month limitation. (HB49)

Introduced By

Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Woodbridge) with support from co-patrons Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), Del. James Edmunds (R-South Boston), Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock), Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas), and Del. Jackson Miller (R-Manassas)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Purchase of handguns; repeal one-gun-a-month limitation.  Repeals the prohibition against purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
12/21/2009Committee
12/21/2009Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/10 10100125D
12/21/2009Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
01/18/2010Impact statement from DPB (HB49)
02/11/2010Assigned MPPS sub: #1
02/11/2010Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 0-N)
02/12/2010Reported from Militia, Police and Public Safety (15-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
02/14/2010Read first time
02/15/2010Read second time
02/15/2010Pending question ordered
02/15/2010Engrossed by House
02/16/2010Read third time and passed House (61-Y 37-N)
02/16/2010VOTE: --- PASSAGE (61-Y 37-N) (see vote tally)
02/17/2010Constitutional reading dispensed
02/17/2010Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
03/01/2010Assigned Courts sub: Special
03/08/2010Left in Courts of Justice

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 9 clips in all, totaling 18 minutes.

Comments

robert legge writes:

How about 2 handguns a month?

jack drean writes:

I am outraged over Del. Lingamfelter's HB 49 - repealing the once a month limit for purchasing firearms and am ashamed to live in Virginia. This bill serves no purpose, as it allows anyone to purchase as many firearms as they want. This makes no sense! Does anyone sponsoring this bill have any common sense? Is the NRA giving all of these delegates money? Why would a law-abiding citizen need an unlimited amount of firearms? Does anyone really think that allowing more guns in Virginia will save lives? Is it OK to have restrictions and licenses on cars, but limit restrictions on guns? Is it OK to allow assault weapons to be legally purchased by anyone? Are there any good reasons to allow unlimited purchased of deadly weapons? Does anyone remember the mass killings in Virginia? Was the intent of the 2nd amendment to allow citizens to own as many guns and rifles as they want? Is it OK for Virginians to purchase many firearms and cross state lines to sell to criminals?

Burnley Fobes writes:

How quickly we forget VA Tech. It seems to me we are going in the wrong direction. Most people don't need more than 12 handguns a year.

Andy Connors writes:

The 1 gun a month restriction is a joke. Most gun owners can either get a concealed handgun permit (CHP), which removes the restriction, or buy and sell as many guns as they like in private sales - especially a gin shows.

There are many people like myself who have a CHP not to carry a gun but to get around this limit. Removing this arbitrary and pointless limit, along with the bill to allow guns to be kept in locked containers in cars, may have the effect of removing the need for a CHP and hence reduce the administrative burden.

I am glad this is being repealed so that honest VA gun owners and collectors can exercise their 2nd amendment rights without being unfairly restricted by these dumb laws.

If someone wanted to buy guns in order to commit a crime or go on a rampage then they have always found ways to buy guns and the one gun a month law has never stopped anyone - it certainly did not stop that psycho at VTech. It is an outrage that VTech facility members and law abiding students were not allow to defend themselves with firearms.

I glad that the VA state government is finally taking notice of the 2nd amendment rights of voters and I support these bills.

Let's face it - we do not want to end up like Maryland and D.C which has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the U.S.

Because the reality is that I do not feel the need to carry in Virginia, especially not Arlington, as the area is very safe and the police do any excellent job. The places I would want to carry are D.C and M.D where people are robbed,mugged, knifed and gunned down far more frequently than in Virginia.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

If someone wanted to buy guns in order to commit a crime or go on a rampage then they have always found ways to buy guns and the one gun a month law has never stopped anyone - it certainly did not stop that psycho at VTech.

Actually, the idea behind the one-gun-a-month limitation is that it prevents people from doing precisely what you're talking about—buying large quantities of guns explicitly for the purpose of reselling them outside of the trackable market, thus enabling otherwise unqualified people to acquire firearms.

Seung-Hui Cho, incidentally, bought his two pistols one month apart, purchasing both of them legally, save for omitting the crucial information about his history of involuntary commitment to a mental health facility.

Andy Connors writes:

-- "Actually, the idea behind the one-gun-a-month limitation is that it prevents people from doing precisely what you're talking about—buying large quantities of guns explicitly for the purpose of reselling them outside of the trackable market, thus enabling otherwise unqualified people to acquire firearms.e current one gun a month..."

The current law - § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia, subsection P.2 says that "2. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to:
...
...
h. A person who holds a valid Virginia permit to carry a concealed handgun;

i. A person who purchases a handgun in a private sale. For purposes of this subdivision, a private sale means purchase from a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection of curios or relics as herein defined, or who sells all or part of such collection of curios and relics; or..."

So as you can see the one gun a month rule does not prevent what you are talking about. Removing the rule would allow buyers to use dealers more often where gun sales are tracked.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

No, it would prevent precisely what I'm talking about: people purchasing large quantities of firearms within the tracked market and reselling them outside of the tracked market. What you're suggesting is that it's currently relatively simple to purchase those firearms outside of the tracked market, but I disagree: look at where Seung-Hui Cho chose to purchase his firearms. While it's trivial for you and me buy purchase firearms from friends, family, or acquaintances—because we move in those circles—the great majority of people lack any such connections.

It sounds to me like you're proposing eliminating the ability to exchange firearms outside of the tracked market. Is that right?

Brian Schoeneman writes:

The one-gun-a-month number is arbitrary. While I recognize the benefits of limiting the number to keep Virginia from becoming a gun trafficking state (like Georgia), there needs to be a balance between the goal of reducing gun trafficking and overly burdening an individual's right to buy what they wish in the quantities they wish.