Snuggled in between universal background checks, a one-handgun-a-month purchase limit, and other Virginia gun controls that took effect last week, is a law that allows Virginians to ban themselves from gun purchases.
The difference between the law allowing one to prohibit one’s self from buying guns and the other controls is the self-banning law does not go into effect until 2021.
WTOP reports the legislation, Senate Bill 436, was sponsored by Democrat State Sen. Scott Surovell (Fairfax). The measure passed the Democrat-controlled state legislature “along party-line votes.”
The Virginia Mercury refers to Senate Bill 436 as the “Virginia Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms List,” noting that it takes effect next year.
The Mercury notes:
The new law will allow anyone over 18 to add themselves to the list, designed to be kept confidential, by filling out a form with a copy of their photo ID and mailing it or delivering it to the Virginia State Police. Once a person is on the list, it will be against the law for them to purchase or possess a gun and unlawful for anyone to knowingly sell or give a gun to a person on the list. If someone on the list changes their mind, they can be removed after waiting 21 days.
Washington state adopted a similar law in 2018 and 13 people have used to the law to ban themselves from gun purchases.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.