Bill Text: VA HB261 | 2018 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Localities; regulation of firearms in government buildings.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-13 - Left in Militia, Police and Public Safety [HB261 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HB261-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §15.2-915 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§15.2-915. Control of firearms; applicability to authorities and local governmental agencies.
A. No A locality shall may
adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution,
or motion, as permitted by §15.2-1425, and no an authorized agent of such
locality shall may
take any an
administrative action,
governing the purchase,
possession, transfer, ownership, carrying, storage or
transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination
thereof other than those expressly authorized by statute.
For purposes of this section, a statute that does not refer to in, or carrying of firearms,
ammunition, or components or combination thereof
into, shall not be
construed to provide express authorization any building owned or used by such locality
for governmental purposes.
Nothing in this
section shall prohibit a locality from adopting workplace rules relating to
terms and conditions of employment of the workforce. However, no locality shall
adopt any workplace rule, other than for the purposes of a
community services board or behavioral health authority as defined in §
37.2-100, 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. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a law-enforcement
officer, as defined in §9.1-101, from acting within the scope of his duties.
The provisions of this section applicable to a locality shall
also apply to any authority or to a local governmental entity, including a
department or agency, but not including
any local or regional jail, juvenile detention facility, or state-governed
entity, department, or agency.
B. Any local
ordinance, resolution or motion adopted prior to the effective date of this act
governing the purchase, possession, transfer, ownership, carrying or
transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof,
other than those expressly authorized by statute, is invalid.
C. In addition to any
other relief provided, the court may award reasonable attorney fees, expenses,
and court costs to any person, group, or entity that prevails in an action
challenging (i) an ordinance, resolution, or motion as being in conflict with
this section or (ii) an administrative action taken in bad faith as being in
conflict with this section.
D. For purposes of
this section, "workplace" means "workplace of the
locality."
