Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act of 2026

This section makes it unlawful for any unlicensed person to transfer a firearm to another unlicensed person unless a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer first takes possession of the firearm and conducts a background check. Exceptions are provided for bona fide gifts or loans between immediate family members (spouses, domestic partners, parents/children, siblings, aunts/uncles/nieces/nephews, grandparents/grandchildren), temporary transfers for self-defense in imminent danger, or temporary transfers at shooting ranges or for hunting when the transferor is present.

This section makes it unlawful for an unlicensed person to purchase more than one handgun in a 30-day period. Exceptions are provided for individuals with an enhanced background check certificate from their state, law enforcement, military personnel, correctional facilities, licensed private security companies, and purchases of antique firearms or curios/relics by licensed collectors.

This section amends federal law to prohibit the manufacture, import, sale, possession, or transfer of firearms that are not detectable by metal detectors or X-ray machines after removal of grips, stocks, and magazines. It also makes it unlawful to knowingly possess, import, purchase, sell, or transfer any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number, effectively requiring serialization for all firearm components that can become a firearm.

This section defines 'assault weapon' based on specific characteristics (e.g., semi-automatic center-fire rifles/pistols with fixed magazines over 15 rounds or detachable magazines and certain features like folding stocks, pistol grips, threaded barrels; certain semi-automatic shotguns). It then prohibits the sale, manufacture, or possession of these defined 'assault weapons' and enhances penalties for their use in violent crimes. It also prohibits individuals under 18 from possessing assault weapons, with exceptions for supervised activities like hunting or training, or possession at home with parental consent.

This section establishes a grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, to assist states and Indian Tribes in implementing extreme risk protection order (ERPO) laws. Funds can be used for personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, developing protocols for firearm removal and storage, and raising public awareness. States that enact ERPO legislation consistent with the bill's requirements receive affirmative preference for other discretionary grants.

This section outlines the requirements for state or tribal ERPO legislation to be eligible for federal grants. Key requirements include: allowing petitioners (including law enforcement) to apply for orders, providing notice and an opportunity to be heard for the named individual, issuing orders based on a preponderance of evidence of danger, allowing ex parte orders for imminent danger (up to 30 days), requiring surrender or removal of firearms, secure storage of removed firearms, and notification to the Department of Justice for NICS updates. It also includes confidentiality protections and provisions for minors.

This section amends federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(d) and (g)) to prohibit individuals subject to a court order that prohibits firearm possession (such as an extreme risk protection order) from receiving or possessing firearms. The prohibition applies if the order was issued consistent with due process rights and based on a finding that the person poses a danger of causing harm to themselves or others by having access to a firearm. This ensures that ERPOs issued under state or tribal law trigger a federal firearm prohibition.

This section makes it unlawful for a person to fail to report a lost or stolen firearm to an appropriate state or local law enforcement agency within 48 hours of discovering the loss or theft. Individuals who report in good faith are generally protected from liability for subsequent acts, unless they knowingly report a false loss/theft or stored the firearm recklessly or negligently. States and local agencies are also required to report lost or stolen firearms to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

This section makes it unlawful for a person to recklessly leave a loaded and unsecured firearm in a manner that endangers the life or limb of a person under 18 years of age. Exceptions apply if the firearm is secured with a safety device, in a location a reasonable person would believe to be secure, or carried on the person or in close proximity for ready retrieval. Violations carry a penalty of up to 1 year imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

This section expands federal firearm prohibitions (18 U.S.C. 922(d) and (g)) to include individuals convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. It also clarifies and strengthens the existing prohibition for individuals subject to certain domestic violence protective orders, ensuring that orders issued after a hearing (or ex parte with due process protections) that restrain harassment, stalking, or threats against an intimate partner or child, and include a finding of credible threat or explicitly prohibit physical force, trigger the federal prohibition.

This section makes it unlawful for a parent, guardian, or other caregiver (over 18) to willfully cause or enable a child under 18 to gain possession of a firearm if the caregiver has been notified that the child poses a risk of violence (by a welfare agency, mental health provider, or educational institution) or if the caregiver knows the child has pending charges/convictions for a violent felony or has been court-determined to pose a risk of harm. An affirmative defense exists if the caregiver enabled possession in a dwelling due to a reasonable belief of imminent danger. Violations carry a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine.

This section establishes a grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, to assist states and Indian Tribes in implementing domestic violence firearm relinquishment laws. Funds can be used to enhance the capacity of law enforcement and courts, develop protocols for firearm removal and storage, and provide training. States that enact relinquishment legislation consistent with the bill's requirements receive affirmative preference for other discretionary grants.

This section outlines the requirements for state or tribal domestic violence relinquishment legislation to be eligible for federal grants. Key requirements include: mandating that individuals prohibited from possessing firearms due to domestic violence (under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) or (9)) surrender their firearms to law enforcement or transfer them to a nonprohibited person; ensuring law enforcement removes firearms if not surrendered; establishing confirmation processes for relinquishment; and secure storage of removed firearms. It also includes confidentiality protections.

This section makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in or on the grounds of an institution of higher education or within a 'mental healthcare facility zone' (defined as in/on the grounds of, or within 1,000 feet of, a mental healthcare facility). Exceptions include private property not part of the institution/facility, licensed individuals (if state law requires background checks for license), unloaded firearms in locked containers/racks in vehicles, use in approved programs, by contract personnel, by law enforcement, or when traversing premises for hunting if authorized.

This section amends federal firearm prohibitions (18 U.S.C. 922(d) and (g)) to include individuals convicted of a 'misdemeanor hate crime.' A misdemeanor hate crime is defined as a misdemeanor offense involving the use or attempted use of physical force, threatened use of a deadly weapon, or another credible threat to physical safety, where the conduct was motivated by the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin. The prohibition applies if the conviction was consistent with due process rights.