HB 40 VA

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Became Law

Manufacture, importation, 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, 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 also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, 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 provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions 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, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 323.

• Marcus B. Simon Democratic · primary

1. Dec 23, 2025 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100452D · lower
2. Dec 23, 2025 Referred to Committee on Public Safety · lower
3. Jan 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/6/2026 2:07 pm) · lower
4. Jan 13, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB40) · lower
5. Jan 16, 2026 Assigned HPS sub: Firearms · lower
6. Jan 29, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) · lower
7. Jan 30, 2026 Reported from Public Safety (15-Y 6-N) · lower
8. Feb 3, 2026 Read first time · lower
9. Feb 4, 2026 Read second time and engrossed · lower
10. Feb 5, 2026 Read third time and passed House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
11. Feb 6, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
12. Feb 6, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · upper
13. Feb 23, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N) · upper
14. Feb 25, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108434D-S1 · upper
15. Feb 25, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) · upper
16. Feb 25, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/25/2026 12:50 pm) · lower
17. Feb 26, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
18. Feb 26, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
19. Feb 26, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
20. Feb 26, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB40) · lower
21. Feb 27, 2026 Read third time · upper
22. Feb 27, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
23. Mar 2, 2026 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to · upper
24. Mar 2, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
25. Mar 2, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
26. Mar 4, 2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A) · lower
27. Mar 11, 2026 Enrolled · lower
28. Mar 11, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB40ER) · lower
29. Mar 11, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB40) · lower
30. Mar 11, 2026 Signed by President · upper
31. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
32. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 · lower
33. Mar 14, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
34. Apr 10, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter531 (Effective - see bill) · executive
35. Apr 10, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0531) · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Chaptered · PDF
• Chaptered · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML