SB1228: Firearms; property or facilities owned or leased by localities.
SENATE BILL NO. 1228
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 local governmental agencies.
A. No Any locality shall may
adopt or and enforce any ordinance,
resolution or motion, as permitted by § 15.2-1425, and
no agent of such locality shall take any administrative action, governing that prohibits 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 on
any property or facility owned or leased by the locality for governmental use,
including libraries, recreational facilities, administrative offices,
and meeting rooms.
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. 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."