SB1257: Firearms; criminal records check performed at a gun show before vendor may transfer.


SENATE BILL NO. 1257
FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by Senator Edwards
on January 29, 2009)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Marsh)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-308.2:4, relating to sale of firearms; criminal history record checks.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 18.2-308.2:4 as follows:

§ 18.2-308.2:4. Criminal history record information checks for sales by unlicensed persons.

If requested to do so at a firearms show, as defined in § 54.1-4200, by a seller who is not a licensed firearms dealer, a person licensed to do business in Virginia as a dealer in firearms pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. shall obtain a criminal history record check in compliance with § 18.2-308.2:2 and federal law to facilitate the sale of a firearm. In the event that the record check reveals that the prospective purchaser is prohibited from possessing, purchasing, or owning a firearm, under state or federal firearms law, the dealer shall so inform both parties of that fact and the transfer shall not take place. Any dealer who obtains a criminal history record check pursuant to this section may charge a reasonable fee for such service.


SENATE BILL NO. 1257
Senate Amendments in [ ] – January 29, 2009
A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-4200 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 18.2-308.2:4 and 54.1-4201.2, relating to firearm sales; criminal history record information checks; penalties.
Patrons Prior to Engrossment—Senators Marsh and Howell

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 54.1-4200 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding sections numbered 18.2-308.2:4 and 54.1-4201.2 as follows:

§ 18.2-308.2:4. Criminal history record information check required to obtain firearm from firearms show vendor; penalties.

No firearms show vendor, as defined in § 54.1-4200, shall transfer a firearm at a firearms show, as defined in § 54.1-4200,  [ to a person who does not hold a valid concealed handgun permit issued pursuant to § 18.2-308,  ]  unless the firearms show vendor has obtained verification from a dealer in firearms that information on the prospective purchaser or transferee has been submitted for a criminal history record information check as set out in § 18.2-308.2:2 and a determination is received from the Department of State Police that the prospective purchaser or transferee is not prohibited under state or federal law from possessing a firearm. The firearms show promoter's designated dealer shall provide a means by which vendors may obtain the approval or denial of their firearm transfer requests based on criminal history record information checks. The Department of State Police shall provide a means by which the firearms show promoter's designated dealer may obtain criminal history record information. The processes established shall conform to the provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2, and the definitions and provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 regarding criminal history record information checks shall apply to this section mutatis mutandis. The firearms show promoter's designated dealer shall collect and disseminate the fees described in § 18.2-308.2:2 as required by that section. The dealer may charge and retain an additional fee not to exceed $15 for obtaining criminal history record information checks for vendors.

 [ This section shall apply only to the premises leased by the promoter for the purposes of conducting a gun show.

This section shall not apply to the transfer of any antique firearms, curios or relics as defined in § 18.2-308.2:2.  ]

Any person who willfully and intentionally requests, obtains, or seeks to obtain criminal history record information under false pretenses or who willfully and intentionally disseminates or seeks to disseminate criminal history record information except as authorized by law is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Any person who willfully and intentionally makes a materially false statement on the consent form required by § 18.2-308.2:2 is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Any person who willfully and intentionally sells, rents, trades, or transfers a firearm in violation of this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

§ 54.1-4200. Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Dealer in firearms" means (i) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of selling, trading or transferring firearms at wholesale or retail; (ii) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of making or fitting special barrels, stocks, or trigger mechanisms to firearms; or (iii) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation that is a pawnbroker.

"Engaged in business" means as applied to a dealer in firearms a person, firm, partnership, or corporation that devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through repetitive purchase or resale of firearms, but such term shall not involve a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.

"Firearms show" means the entire premises, including but not limited to parking areas, of any gathering or exhibition, open to the public, not occurring on the permanent premises of a dealer in firearms, conducted principally for the purposes of exchanging, selling or trading firearms as defined in § 18.2-308.2:2.

"Firearms show vendor" means any person not licensed as a Virginia dealer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. who exhibits, sells, offers for sale, transfers, or exchanges any firearm at a firearms show, regardless of whether the person arranges with a firearms show promoter for a fixed location from which to exhibit, sell, offer for sale, transfer, or exchange any firearm.

"Promoter" means a person, firm, corporation, club, association, or organization holding a firearms show in the Commonwealth.

§ 54.1-4201.2. Duties of promoter; verification of vendor identity; records; penalty.

A. Before the start of the firearms show, the promoter shall verify the identity of each participating firearms show vendor by examining a photo identification issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles or a similar agency in the vendor's state of residence if the vendor is not a Virginia resident and require the vendor to sign a ledger with identifying information concerning the vendor. Also, before the start of the firearms show, the promoter shall provide each vendor with a notice advising the vendor of the obligations of the vendor under this chapter and § 18.2-308.2:4. The promoter shall maintain a copy of the records described in this subsection at the permanent place of business of the firearms show promoter for four years from the date of the firearms show.

B. The promoter shall make available to firearms show vendors one or more Virginia dealers licensed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. to conduct the criminal history record information check required by §§ 18.2-308.2:2 and 18.2-308.2:4.

C. The promoter shall post in a prominent location at the firearms show a notice, in a form to be prescribed by the Department of State Police, setting forth the requirement for a criminal history record information check.

2.  That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and is $0 for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.


SENATE BILL NO. 1257
FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by Senator Cuccinelli
on January 29, 2009)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Marsh)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-308.2:4, relating to sale of firearms; criminal history record checks.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 18.2-308.2:4 as follows:

18.2-308.2:4. Criminal history record information checks for private sales at firearm shows.

At any firearms show, as defined in 54.1-2400, a seller, who is not licensed as a firearms dealer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 923, may request of any police officer of the jurisdiction in which the firearms show is being operated, or of any Virginia State Police Officer, who may be on duty in the show area, to initiate a criminal history record check, as set out in 18.2-308.2:2, on a prospective buyer. The officer shall, by telephone to the Firearm Transaction Center, initiate a criminal history record check, and make the result known to both the seller and the prospective buyer. If the record check reveals that the prospective buyer is prohibited from possessing or purchasing a firearm, the officer shall so inform both parties and the transfer shall not take place. If the results of a voluntary record check under the provisions of this section are not available within one hour, the seller and the prospective buyer may effect the transfer as otherwise allowed by law.

SENATE BILL NO. 1257
Offered January 14, 2009
Prefiled January 14, 2009
A BILL to amend and reenact 54.1-4200 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 18.2-308.2:4 and 54.1-4201.2, relating to firearm sales; criminal history record information checks; penalties.
Patrons-- Marsh and Howell

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That 54.1-4200 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding sections numbered 18.2-308.2:4 and 54.1-4201.2 as follows:

18.2-308.2:4. Criminal history record information check required to obtain firearm from firearms show vendor; penalties.

No firearms show vendor, as defined in 54.1-4200, shall transfer a firearm at a firearms show, as defined in 54.1-4200, unless the firearms show vendor has obtained verification from a dealer in firearms that information on the prospective purchaser or transferee has been submitted for a criminal history record information check as set out in 18.2-308.2:2 and a determination is received from the Department of State Police that the prospective purchaser or transferee is not prohibited under state or federal law from possessing a firearm. The firearms show promoter's designated dealer shall provide a means by which vendors may obtain the approval or denial of their firearm transfer requests based on criminal history record information checks. The Department of State Police shall provide a means by which the firearms show promoter's designated dealer may obtain criminal history record information. The processes established shall conform to the provisions of 18.2-308.2:2, and the definitions and provisions of 18.2-308.2:2 regarding criminal history record information checks shall apply to this section mutatis mutandis. The firearms show promoter's designated dealer shall collect and disseminate the fees described in 18.2-308.2:2 as required by that section. The dealer may charge and retain an additional fee not to exceed $15 for obtaining criminal history record information checks for vendors.

Any person who willfully and intentionally requests, obtains, or seeks to obtain criminal history record information under false pretenses or who willfully and intentionally disseminates or seeks to disseminate criminal history record information except as authorized by law is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Any person who willfully and intentionally makes a materially false statement on the consent form required by 18.2-308.2:2 is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Any person who willfully and intentionally sells, rents, trades, or transfers a firearm in violation of this section is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

54.1-4200. Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Dealer in firearms" means (i) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of selling, trading or transferring firearms at wholesale or retail; (ii) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation engaged in the business of making or fitting special barrels, stocks, or trigger mechanisms to firearms; or (iii) any person, firm, partnership, or corporation that is a pawnbroker.

"Engaged in business" means as applied to a dealer in firearms a person, firm, partnership, or corporation that devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through repetitive purchase or resale of firearms, but such term shall not involve a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.

"Firearms show" means the entire premises, including but not limited to parking areas, of any gathering or exhibition, open to the public, not occurring on the permanent premises of a dealer in firearms, conducted principally for the purposes of exchanging, selling or trading firearms as defined in 18.2-308.2:2.

"Firearms show vendor" means any person not licensed as a Virginia dealer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 921 et seq. who exhibits, sells, offers for sale, transfers, or exchanges any firearm at a firearms show, regardless of whether the person arranges with a firearms show promoter for a fixed location from which to exhibit, sell, offer for sale, transfer, or exchange any firearm.

"Promoter" means a person, firm, corporation, club, association, or organization holding a firearms show in the Commonwealth.

54.1-4201.2. Duties of promoter; verification of vendor identity; records; penalty.

A. Before the start of the firearms show, the promoter shall verify the identity of each participating firearms show vendor by examining a photo identification issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles or a similar agency in the vendor's state of residence if the vendor is not a Virginia resident and require the vendor to sign a ledger with identifying information concerning the vendor. Also, before the start of the firearms show, the promoter shall provide each vendor with a notice advising the vendor of the obligations of the vendor under this chapter and 18.2-308.2:4. The promoter shall maintain a copy of the records described in this subsection at the permanent place of business of the firearms show promoter for four years from the date of the firearms show.

B. The promoter shall make available to firearms show vendors one or more Virginia dealers licensed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 921 et seq. to conduct the criminal history record information check required by 18.2-308.2:2 and 18.2-308.2:4.

C. The promoter shall post in a prominent location at the firearms show a notice, in a form to be prescribed by the Department of State Police, setting forth the requirement for a criminal history record information check.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to 30-19.1:4, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and is $0 for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.