Voting Rights

Vetoed: HB26 Voter identification; accepted forms of identification, private entities licensed or certified. Adds to the list of accepted forms of identification for purposes of voting a valid identification card that contains a photograph of the voter and is issued by any private entity that is licensed or certified, in whole or in part, by the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Medical Assistance Services, or Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

 

Amended: SB196 Voter registration; list maintenance data standards, challenges to a voter's registration. Prohibits the use of voter data received from another state or jurisdiction or through a list comparison for list maintenance purposes when the data file does not include a unique identifier for each individual whose information is contained in the data file. The bill requires the Department of Elections to conduct an annual review of all sources of data utilized for list maintenance activities in the preceding 12-month period for the purpose of determining the validity, completeness, accuracy, and reliability of the data received from each source and to include the results of such review in its annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections regarding its list maintenance activities. Lastly, the bill removes provisions allowing general registrars to adjudicate challenges to a voter's registration, reserving such process to the courts. The bill includes technical amendments.

 

Gun Violence and Safety (Youngkin vetoed 30 gun safety bills, signed four, and amended six by April 8.)
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Read NASW Virginia’s April 16, 2024, statement on the mental harm caused to both direct victims and community members due to gun violence. This is a response to emergency tactics taken after eight shootings in Richmond in a two-week period.
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Vetoed: HB46 Firearm; transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a protective order or conviction of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. 

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The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide a copy of such form to the transferee. The bill also provides that such a prohibited person shall be advised that a law enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from such person if they have reason to believe that such a person has not relinquished all firearms in his possession. This bill is identical to SB 47.

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Amended: SB515 Weapons; carrying into hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly possess in or transport into the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. 

The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 861. Amendment: https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+SB515S2

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Vetoed: HB175 Assault firearms; carrying in public areas prohibited, penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles and shotguns on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. This bill is identical to SB 99. 

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Vetoed: SB 447 Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; civil penalty. Provides that no person shall leave, place, or store a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle, as defined in the bill, when such handgun is visible to any person who is outside such motor vehicle. Any person violating such prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of no more than $500, and such unattended motor vehicle may be subject to removal for safekeeping. This bill is identical to HB 1462.

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Amended: SB225 School board policy; parental notification of responsibility of safe storage of firearms in household. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household, risks associated with improperly stored firearms, statistics relating to firearm-related accidents, injuries, and death among youth, and other tips and strategies. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to HB 498. 

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Amendment to SB225 with much broader implications: That the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly, and that the Department of Education shall (i) collaborate with relevant stakeholders to create a list of (a) parental rights, including the right to be notified of sexually explicit materials, to express disagreement with a school's or a school board's policies or decisions, and to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child, and (b) parental responsibilities, including safeguarding their child against access to drugs, ensuring their child is protected from exploitation or abuse, maintaining their child's school attendance, participating in their child's school discipline proceedings, monitoring their child's behavioral and educational process, and, if applicable, paying child support; and (ii) develop an efficient method for distributing such list to parents at the beginning of each school year. The Department of Education shall submit a report on such list to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1, 2024.

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Vetoed: HB 183 Firearms; storage in residence where minor or person prohibited from possessing is present, penalty. Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and ammunition in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. A violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill exempts (i) any person in lawful possession of a firearm who carries such firearm on or about his person and (ii) the storage of antique firearms and provides that the lawful authorization of a minor to access a firearm is not a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill also requires firearm dealers to post a notice stating such firearm storage requirements and the penalty for improperly storing such firearms. This bill is identical to SB 368