On Tuesday – known as ‘Crossover Day’ in the General Assembly, the final day for a bill to be passed out of its originating chamber – the House voted 51-48 to pass HB 961, a bill which would would redefine ‘assault firearms’ and ban their possession in Virginia.
House Bill 961 makes it a Class 6 felony to “import, sell, transfer, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport large-capacity firearm magazines, silencers, and trigger activators, all defined in the bill.”
Under the proposed law, any person who already owns a weapon classified as an assault firearm under the new legal definition would be able to retain possession of the weapon, but would have to obtain a permit from Virginia State Police, which police would then be required to enter into the Virginia Criminal Information Network to keep the permit on file with law enforcement.
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