General Assembly sends assault weapons ban bill to Gov. Spanberger

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) - Virginia is one step closer to enacting an assault weapons ban.

The Senate is sending a bill to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) desk on Monday that would make it illegal to sell, purchase, import, manufacture or transfer assault weapons in Virginia starting on July 1, 2026, with some exceptions. 

“The overall goal of this bill is to ensure that we have less weapons of war on the streets,” Democratic Senator Saddam Salim (D-Fairfax), who helped write the bill, told 8News. 

“It’s really one of the more extreme bills that is gonna pass this year,” Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham) said. 

The bill would also make it illegal to sell, transfer or purchase a high-capacity magazine capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition, with some exceptions starting on July 1. 

“How do we ensure that my kids and your kids, and whoever kids come after this, that they have a safe place when they go to school, not necessarily a place where they have to do active shooter drills and think about whether it’s real or if it’s not,” Salim said. 

Salim added that the measure is about tackling gun violence, but it doesn’t make it a crime to possess an assault weapon or high-capacity magazine that anyone already owns.

However, Obenshain said the bill won’t do anything to deter criminals. 

“The people who are gonna obey this law, they’re gonna be the law-abiders, they’re not gonna be the people who engage in the mass shootings or other criminal conduct,” said Obenshain. 

Obenshain added that the bill will prevent Virginians from buying various types of guns that are used for hunting and other reasons. 

“It is a staggering number of firearms based on appearance, not on any other characteristic,”  said Obenshain. 

Below is a list of the guns defined as assault weapons in the bill: 

1. A semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol with a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 15 rounds;
2. A semi-automatic center-fire rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine, not including an attached tubular device designed to accept and capable of operating only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, and that has one or more of the following characteristics: (i) a folding, telescoping or collapsible stock; (ii) a thumbhole stock or pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the rifle; (iii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (iv) a grenade launcher; or (v) a threaded barrel capable of accepting (a) a muzzle brake, (b) a muzzle compensator, (c) a sound suppressor or (d) a flash suppressor;
3. A semi-automatic center-fire pistol that has two or more of the following characteristics: (i) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (ii) the capacity to accept a magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; (iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the pistol with the non-trigger hand without being burned; (iv) a threaded barrel capable of accepting (a) a sound suppressor, (b) a flash suppressor, (c) a barrel extender or (d) a forward handgrip; or (v) a buffer tube, arm brace, or other part that protrudes horizontally behind the pistol grip and is designed or redesigned to allow or facilitate the firing of a firearm from the shoulder;
4. A semi-automatic shotgun that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material that has one of the following characteristics: (i) a folding, telescoping or collapsible stock; (ii) a thumbhole stock or pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun; (iii) the ability to accept a detachable magazine; (iv) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 15 rounds; or (v) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (iv);
5. A shotgun with a revolving cylinder;
6. A firearm that has the capacity to accept a belt ammunition feeding device; or
7. A firearm that has been modified to be operable as an assault firearm as described in subdivisions 1 through 6.

A spokesperson from Spanberger shared the following statement on the bill:

“As the mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools and a former federal law enforcement officer who carried a gun every day, Governor Spanberger knows how important it is to make sure kids and families are safe. The Governor is grateful for the efforts of legislators and advocates to address gun violence in Virginia communities, and she looks forward to reviewing all legislation that comes to her desk.”