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Public Safety

Friday, February 27, 2026·39m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Virginia House Public Safety Committee advanced 16 Senate bills across a wide range of public safety topics, including a closely contested assault firearms ban (SB 749) and a concealed handgun permit reciprocity bill (SB 115), while carrying over one bill to 2027 and referring two others to Appropriations. Several bills related to firearms restrictions, immigration enforcement agreements, and juvenile commitments passed on party-line 12-to-6 votes.

Key Actions

·SB 538 – Carried Over to 2027No Vote

+ 15 more actions

Controversies

Age threshold misstatement in SB 643 presentation

Alfonso H. Lopez stated on the record that SB 643 prohibits persons younger than 25 from purchasing a handgun or assault firearm. The chair immediately interjected that Lopez may have meant 21, not 25. Lopez confirmed the correct figure was 21. This was a correction of a misstatement, not a policy disagreement.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Okay, so now we have a bill that's identical to 1441 before us. With the substitute got a motion to report with substitution. All right, so moved in second. We report this bill with substitute. The clerk will open the roll. All right, the clerk will close the roll. That Bill reports again, 12 to 6. All right, now 7:49. Mr. Chair, there is a substitute to ensure that it conforms to the version that Delegate Helmer and the rest of the Senate has worked on. So that substitute would be identical to what we passed out yesterday. And this bill is now in a place where we have worked out the details. And I ask that you all move that substitute. Gotcha. All right, so there's a substitute before us. There's a motion and second, to adopt the substitute. As many in favor of”

Saddam Azlan Salim — Salim described the key provisions of the agreed-upon substitute for SB 749, the assault firearms ban on sale and transfer.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

SB 538 – Continue to 2027 under Rule 22No Vote
SB 635 – Report and refer to AppropriationsPassed
SB 600 – ReportPassed
SB 64 – ReportPassed
SB 218 – ReportPassed
SB 364 – Report (conformed to HB 969)Passed
SB 496 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 110)Passed
SB 529 – ReportPassed
SB 602 – ReportPassed
SB 690 – ReportPassed
SB 727 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 1524)Passed
SB 351 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 650)Passed
SB 352 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 1482)Passed
SB 783 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 1441)Passed
SB 749 – Report with substitutePassed
SB 115 – Report and refer to Appropriations with substitutePassed
SB 643 – Report with substitute (conformed to HB 1525)Passed
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TranscriptPreview
Good morning. Welcome to this Friday morning, whatever Friday it is. Public Safety committee members will indicate their presence on the electronic voting board. All right, the clerk will close the roll. Quorum is present. Let us start with Subcommittee 2's subcommittee report. Chairman Rasool. Yes. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. First we have Senate Bill 538 from Senator Suderline. The subcommittee recommended continuing to 2027 under Rule 22 and I would so move. It's been moved and seconded that Senate Bill 538 be continued to 2027 under Rule 22. As many in favor, that motion will say aye. Aye. Those opposed? All right, the bill is carried over. Senator. Chairman rasool. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senate Bill 635 by Senator McDougal. Similar to Delegate O' Quinn's Bill 1189. However we kept to the language here that turned it more into a study creating this intermediate sense of emergency in the commonwealth. The subcommittee recommended reporting and referring to Appropriations 6 to 1 and ISO. Move second. All right, so we moved and seconded the Senate Bill 635. Report and refer to Appropriations. Any further conversation about that bill? Seeing none, the clerk will open the roll. Members will cast their…
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