Plastic firearms and unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, sale, transfer, etc., penalty. (HB2276)
Introduced By
Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church) with support from co-patrons Del. Betsy Carr (D-Richmond), Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston), Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke), and Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✓ |
Passed Committee |
✓ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who manufactures, imports, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at airports for detecting plastic firearms. The bill also creates several Class 1 misdemeanors, which are punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful (i) for any person to possess, sell, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, transport, or receive an unfinished frame or receiver or firearm, unless the party possessing or receiving the unfinished frame or receiver or firearm is a federal firearms importer or manufacturer or the unfinished frame or receiver or firearm is imprinted with a serial number issued by a federal firearms importer or manufacturer and (ii) for any person to manufacture, cause to be manufactured, assemble, or cause to be assembled a firearm that is not imprinted with a serial number issued by a federal firearms importer or manufacturer in compliance with all federal laws and regulations regulating the manufacture and import of firearms. The bill creates exceptions for (i) any firearm that has been rendered permanently inoperable, (ii) an antique firearm, or (iii) any firearm or unfinished frame or receiver manufactured before October 22, 1968. Read the Bill »
Status
01/29/2021: In Committee
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/14/2021 | Committee |
| 01/14/2021 | Presented and ordered printed 21102945D |
| 01/14/2021 | Impact statement from VCSC (HB2276) |
| 01/14/2021 | Referred to Committee on Public Safety |
| 01/18/2021 | Assigned PS sub: Firearms |
| 01/19/2021 | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (6-Y 2-N) |
| 01/20/2021 | Impact statement from DPB (HB2276) |
| 01/20/2021 | House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered |
| 01/22/2021 | Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 10-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/22/2021 | Committee substitute printed 21103385D-H1 |
| 01/22/2021 | Impact statement from VCSC (HB2276H1) |
| 01/24/2021 | Impact statement from DPB (HB2276H1) |
| 01/25/2021 | Read first time |
| 01/26/2021 | Read second time |
| 01/26/2021 | Committee substitute agreed to 21103385D-H1 |
| 01/26/2021 | Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB2276H1 |
| 01/27/2021 | Read third time and passed House (52-Y 48-N) |
| 01/27/2021 | VOTE: Passage (52-Y 48-N) (see vote tally) |
| 01/28/2021 | Constitutional reading dispensed |
| 01/28/2021 | Referred to Committee on the Judiciary |
| 01/29/2021 | Constitutional reading dispensed |
| 01/29/2021 | Referred to Committee on the Judiciary |
| 02/05/2021 | Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Judiciary (14-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
Comments
Just as I figured, here I am here again this year. I thought last year was suposed to be the compromise, but thats never enough.
This bill would completely eliminate a right and hobby and instantly criminalize thousands of Virginians. The party of criminal reform wants to criminalize me, and friends, who have followed the laws all our lives. Building firearms, a protected right, is no different than building anything else. Do people abuse it? Yes. But that happens with everything.
So a prohibited individual could **break the law** and obtain a firearm. So we'll pass a **new law** that will make it illegal for someone to **break the law.** The one small downside is it will make people currently following the law break the law, but who cares?
Respectfully, R Clay
Enough of this. Stop creating more ludicrous laws that penalize law abiding citizens and do nothing to criminals.
If you really want to assist in stopping gun violence stop glorifying the perpetrators on the news. Have significantly harsher and more expedient penalties for those that are unquestionably guilty of heinous crimes. Provide easier access and better support to those that seek mental help. Leave the rest of us alone.
We’re fed up with explaining this to you. We know you’re not serious about protecting anyone because you continue to introduce nonsense bills like this. It is clear you do not want us armed in the long run as you slowly nitpick at our right to protect ourselves. It’s not going to happen. You have long overstayed your welcome in this arena and need to bugger off.
Another unenforceable "statEment" bill
This is absolutely ridiculous. Exactly what is the intension of this bill? Has there been a run of law breakers using building guns? It seems to me that most of the "law breakers" don't care how they get a gun to break the law. This is yet another attempt to crack down on law abiding citizens because their hobbies make some of you uncomfortable.
What is their plan with those of us who have completed 80% lowers, then filled out the AFT Form 1, assigned a serial number to create a SBR? I'm not a manufacturer but the Federal Gov (ATF) is tracking and said what I've done is good to go.
Stop punishing the innocent, and focus on punishing the guilty.
The new Sig Sauer 320 series (and other manufcatuerers) uses a grip module that is not serialized and is a polymer material. The serialized part is a mechanical part in which the grip module holds. The grip module looks like a gun frame. Under the current language this law would make these grip modules illegal, essentially prohibiting tens of thousands of legally manufactured firearms.
This proposal should be stripped down to prohibit plastic gun parts which would not be detectable by Xray machines and could be assembled into an operable firearm after passing through an xray machine.
Then, simply add 5 years statutory minimum to the commission of any violent felony committed using a firearm made from an unfinished frame. And, make it a 3 year statutory minimum for anyone convicted of a violent felony to purchase, transfer, or possess an unfinished or finished or unserialized frame.
This puts the responsibility on the criminals and not lawful gun owners who are innocent of any crimes.
Cody Claxton, Annandale, VA
What crime is this supposed to prevent?
Where are the facts, statistics, and history?
Where does it say your fear and ignorance trump my rights?
I will be taking my tax dollars elsewhere in the near future. Expect this to end up in the supreme court.
You have created criminals out of thousands or law abiding citizens and done nothing to curb the illegal owned handgun violence committed by inner city gangs; easily proven by looking up fbi gathered statistics. Know that you have done literally nothing.
This bill infringes on basic rights as citizens. There are more Gun laws on the books than any other issue, yet we have our politicians write legislation to justify their existence. We need to get the guns out of the hands of criminals, but we let the criminals out into society to recommit the same crimes. Legislation needs to be drafted to hold law makers responsible for repeat offenders, those who do not follow already ratified laws or have total disregard to the rules of society. We do not need more laws for the law abiding, we need to enforce and hold those accountable who do not follow current laws.
Clay Rozic, Greenbackville, VA