Firearms Subcommittee

Thursday, February 5, 2026·1h 1m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Virginia Firearms Subcommittee advanced three bills — including a contested measure raising the firearm purchase age to 21 and a hate crime firearms prohibition — while tabling a bill that would have eliminated Virginia's one-handgun-per-month purchase limit.

Key Actions

·HB 1525 – Firearm Purchase Age Raised to 21Passed

+ 2 more actions

Controversies

Whether 18-to-20-year-olds can legally possess or purchase handguns under current Virginia law

Philip Van Cleave of the VCDL corrected committee counsel, stating that 18-year-olds can legally own a handgun, purchase one through a private sale, and carry it openly in Virginia — they simply cannot buy from a dealer. Counsel subsequently conceded Van Cleave's point was accurate, clarifying that prior testimony should have said 'from dealers' rather than 'cannot purchase.'

+ 5 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“18 to 20 year olds right now commit gun homicides at triple the rate of those 21 and up. And firearms have become the leading cause of death for 18 to 20 year olds, surpassing traffic crashes and other major causes.”
Delegate McGuire — Delegate McGuire, patron of HB 1525, was presenting the statistical rationale for raising the firearm purchase age to 21.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Move the substitute to HB 1525Passed

Motion to report HB 1525 as substitutedPassed

Motion to table HB 1427Passed

Motion to report HB 916Passed

Motion to report HB 1015 and refer to Appropriations (moved by Delegate McClure)Passed

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TranscriptPreview

We'll come to order. We'll go ahead and take attendance. If Madam Clerk, if you can open the row. Oh, quorum is not present yet. Oh, okay. Well we will go at ease. It. On our screen is art showing. Okay. Oh, there they go. Awesome. And a quorum still waiting there. There we go. Will, did you click yours? Yep. There we go. All right. Madam Clerk, if you can close the row, a quorum is present. We do have a short docket today. We're going to continue to stick with our three minutes on both sides for support and opposition. And also if you're online will be three minutes for support and opposition. Please be mindful if there are other people that would like to talk after the timer goes off, we will be ending the convert the statement. So just be mindful of if someone is going after you. We will go back at ease for one second. Thank you. It. Mcguire hb 1525. All right. Thank you. Mr. Chair, I have a substitute to HB 1525 that I would ask you to move commit. So moved. Second there has been a motion on HB 1525 to…

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