HB1772: Concealed handguns; prohibited at airports, exception.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1772

Offered January 14, 2015
Prefiled January 12, 2015
A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-287.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to prohibition on weapons at airport; exception for concealed handguns.
Patron-- Berg

Committee Referral Pending

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.

It shall be is unlawful for any person to possess or transport into any 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, missile, projectile or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon, and (iii) any other dangerous weapon, including explosives, stun weapons as defined in § 18.2-308.1, and those weapons specified in subsection A of § 18.2-308, except that a person entitled to carry a concealed handgun pursuant to Article 6.1 (§ 18.2-307.1 et seq.) of Chapter 7 may lawfully possess or transport a concealed handgun in any air carrier airport terminal. 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 subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in § 19.2-386.28.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to any police officer, sheriff, law-enforcement agent or official, or conservation police officer, or conservator of the peace employed by the air carrier airport, 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.

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.