Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly session rolls out this week, and anti-gun lawmakers are falling all over themselves in a mad dash to enact new gun control legislation. These Second Amendment opponents are flush with excitement after winning back the Governor’s Mansion in November.
They know the path is clear to enact their radical agenda.
Undoubtedly, these long-frustrated lawmakers will race these bills through committee hearings and schedule quick votes in their respective chambers. All that’s needed is a cursory look at House Bill 217 to recognize the insidious scheme these legislators promise to ram through.
Gun rights opponents immediately targeted the most popular sporting rifles
HB 217 is a blanket ban on the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of what anti-gunners mistakenly refer to as “assault weapons.” These hugely popular sporting firearms are owned by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans.
These weapons would now be classified as “assault firearms” because of numerous features standard in modern weapons.
The law lists advancements such as threaded barrels on pistols and on semi-automatic shotguns with detachable or fixed magazines capable of holding more than seven rounds.
Anti-2A lawmakers must realize the strong legal challenges they will face
The controversial bill targets standard capacity ammunition magazines, banning all capable of holding over 10 rounds. The prohibition would make owning such magazines manufactured after July 1, 2026, illegal.
No matter that these magazines regularly come with the firearm from the factory.
Virginia’s HB 217 seeks to punish violations of the ban on semi-automatic firearms with sentences up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. And any person convicted under this bill would lose their Second Amendment rights for three years.
Borrowing a page from other anti-gun factions, the bill makes possessing, purchasing, or transporting an “assault weapon” by anyone under 21 a criminal offense.
The expansive bill authorizes officials to seize weapons from individuals involved in even misdemeanor violations. It also expands the list of disqualifications for applicants seeking handgun permits, thereby restricting lawful carry in Virginia.
And HB 217 is far from the only potential infringement on gun rights in the state.
HB 207 is the direct reaction to Congress zeroing out the hated National Firearms Act of 1934’s (NFA) tax on suppressors. Virginia lawmakers not only want to reinstate the tax stamp mandate for suppressor owners but also increase it from the previous $200 to $500.
Then there’s SB 27 and HB 21. These measures directly defy federal law by attempting to hold the firearms industry liable for criminal acts committed by third parties.
A federal statute on the books for over two decades already prohibits frivolous lawsuits against weapons manufacturers and retailers. Still, Virginia wants to open the floodgates and launch a deluge of litigation.
SB 38 and HB 93 propose another unjustifiable attack on gun rights. A Virginia resident could be barred from possessing a firearm simply because they live with someone who is prohibited.
HB 24 directly aims directly at reciprocity rights for gun permit holders, HB 40 wants to stamp out hobby firearm production, and HB 110 further restricts keeping a weapon in a vehicle for protection.
If the General Assembly’s goal is to tie taxpayer resources up in years-long court battles and ignore measures that would enhance public safety, they should succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Elections indeed have consequences, and the pendulum swung back toward gun rights opponents after years of a virtual stalemate.
Second Amendment supporters will speak with a loud, united voice, but it will likely be ineffective in Virginia’s new political landscape. That means powerful legal challenges are imminent, and it is critical that law-abiding Americans support those who defend their constitutional rights against encroachment.
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