Arlington — Legislation going into effect this week in Virginia includes multiple bills that ease any restrictions on guns. The new laws:
- Eliminate the prohibition on purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period.
- Add concealed handgun permits to the list of acceptable forms of identification to vote or when challenged.
- Provide that nothing in the Emergency Services and Disaster Law shall be interpreted to limit or prohibit the otherwise lawful possession, carrying, transportation, sale, or transfer of firearms.
- Provides that no locality may participate in any gun-buyback program unless the governing body of the locality has enacted an ordinance authorizing the participation of the locality. The ordinance shall require that such firearms shall be offered for sale by public auction or sealed bids to a person licensed as a dealer.
- Provide that failure to produce, upon demand of a law-enforcement officer, a concealed handgun permit and a government-issued photo identification while carrying a concealed handgun is punishable by a $25 civil penalty.
- Provide that no locality shall adopt any workplace rule that prevents an employee of that locality from storing at that locality's workplace a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in a locked private motor vehicle. (other than for the purposes of a community services board or behavioral health authority)
- Remove the option for a locality to require that an applicant for a concealed handgun permit submit fingerprints as part of the application.