SB 1181 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices; prohibits sale, transfer, etc.

Summary
Importation, sale, manufacture, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm with some exceptions. This bill is identical to HB 1607.
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Vetoed
Mar 2025
Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Vetoed Mar 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Courts of Justice Substitute Delegate Simon Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to expand exemptions for assault firearm sales to include senior military colleges and to remove the age restriction for purchasing assault firearms by persons under 21 years old. The amendment also corrects a typo in the prohibited activities list by removing 'possesses' from the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, or transfer clause. These changes aim to align the bill with existing military college exemptions and clarify the scope of prohibited activities.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the age restriction for purchasing assault firearms by persons under 21 years old, and the applicability was expanded to include senior military colleges in the Commonwealth.
ELIGIBILITY

Removed the age restriction for purchasing assault firearms by persons under 21 years old, allowing individuals aged 18-20 to purchase assault firearms from licensed dealers.

DEFINITION

Added 'senior military colleges in the Commonwealth organized under 10 U.S.C. § 2111a(f)' to the list of entities exempt from assault firearm importation, sale, and manufacture prohibitions.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the word 'possesses' from the list of prohibited activities in § 18.2-287.4:1, changing the language from 'imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers' to 'imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers.'

ENFORCEMENT

Updated the definition of 'assault firearm' in § 18.2-308.2:2 to remove the age restriction for purchasing assault firearms manufactured before July 1, 2025, allowing individuals aged 18-20 to purchase these firearms.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 12, 2025

How they voted

390
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Jan 23, 2025
D Democratic21
20 Yea 1
95% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
38
Key actions
10
Committee
5
Apr 2, 2025
Vetoed
Senate sustained Governor's veto
upper
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Mar 24, 2025
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1181ER)
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House with substitute (50-Y 47-N)
lower
Feb 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Public Safety (11-Y 10-N)
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
lower
Jan 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 18-N)
upper
Jan 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Jan 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors

Sponsors