Plastic firearms & unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties.
Summary
Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, 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 when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The portions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025; however, the portions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 100.
Bill status
vetoed
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2024
Committee Review
Feb 2024
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2024
Senate Passage
Mar 2024
Vetoed
Mar 2024
Introduced Jan 3, 2024
Vetoed Mar 26, 2024
Floor votes · Senate Feb 29, 2024 · House of Delegates Feb 2, 2024
How they voted
39–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Feb 29, 2024
D
Democratic21
95% Yea
R
Republican19
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
52
Key actions
13
Committee
13
Amendments
1
Apr 17, 2024
Introduced
Speaker ruled Governor's amendments not germane
lower
Mar 26, 2024
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by House
lower
Mar 8, 2024
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 7, 2024
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 7, 2024
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB173ER)
lower
Mar 1, 2024
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N)
upper
Feb 29, 2024
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (39-0-1)
senate
Feb 28, 2024
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 19, 2024
Committee
Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
upper
Feb 19, 2024
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (8-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 5, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Feb 2, 2024
Lower · Passed
VOTE: Passage (52-Y 48-N)
lower
Feb 2, 2024
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (52-Y 48-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2024
Lower · Passed
Reported from Appropriations (12-Y 9-N)
lower
Jan 24, 2024
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 3-N)
lower
Jan 21, 2024
Committee
Assigned App. sub: Transportation & Public Safety
lower
Jan 19, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee on Appropriations
lower
Jan 19, 2024
Lower · Passed
Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 9-N)
lower
Jan 18, 2024
Committee
Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
lower
Jan 18, 2024
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
lower
Jan 13, 2024
Committee
Assigned PS sub: Firearms
lower
Jan 3, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
lower
1 primary · 18 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Marcus Simon
DDemocratic
Co
Alex Askew
DDemocratic
Co
Betsy Carr
DDemocratic
Co
Bonita Anthony
DDemocratic
Co
Cia Price
DDemocratic
Co
Dan Helmer
DDemocratic
Co
Debra Gardner
DDemocratic
Co
Delores McQuinn
DDemocratic
Co
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker
DDemocratic
Co
Holly Seibold
DDemocratic
Co
Irene Shin
DDemocratic
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