---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence, effective date."
description: "Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence. Removes the option for concealed handgun permit applicants to demonstrate competence with a handgun by completing an electronic, video, or online course conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor. The bill does not affect any in-person means of satisfying the requirement to demonstrate competence with a handgun under current law. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to HB 264."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 263"
citation: "Virginia SB 263 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["John J. Bell"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 43
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2020-01-03"
last_action: "2020-04-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f807a5da-9ef4-4b23-9e8e-519ed4cf3ff1"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB263"
source_hash: "97beca1933eeba64a8fcadb35df3566c01be3de95dfa6f8c2280e1dc661792b6"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 263 (2020) — Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence, effective date.

Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence. Removes the option for concealed handgun permit applicants to demonstrate competence with a handgun by completing an electronic, video, or online course conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor. The bill does not affect any in-person means of satisfying the requirement to demonstrate competence with a handgun under current law. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to HB 264.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1130)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1130)
2. **Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB263ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB263ER)
3. **Engrossed by Senate as amended SB263E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB263)
4. **Engrossed by Senate as amended SB263E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB263E)
5. **Impact statement from DPB (SB263H1)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB263H1)

## Votes

- VOTE: Agree To (52-Y 42-N) — **51–42** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) — **21–19** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Judiciary (7-Y 6-N) — **7–6** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (54-Y 46-N) — **53–46** (pass) · lower
- House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 39-N) — **0–39** (fail) · upper
- Senate acceded to request (36-Y 3-N) — **36–3** (pass) · upper
- Conference report agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N) — **23–17** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Public Safety with substitute (13-Y 9-N) — **13–9** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- John J. Bell — primary (person)
- Adam P. Ebbin — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-03** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102385D `introduction`
- **2020-01-03** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-08** Moved from Courts of Justice to Judiciary due to a change of the committee name
- **2020-01-22** Reported from Judiciary (7-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-24** Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-27** Passed by for the day
- **2020-01-28** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-28** Reading of amendment waived
- **2020-01-28** Amendment by Senator Deeds agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2020-01-28** Engrossed by Senate as amended SB263E
- **2020-01-28** Printed as engrossed 20102385D-E
- **2020-01-29** Passed by temporarily
- **2020-01-29** Impact statement from DPB (SB263E)
- **2020-01-29** Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-02-03** Placed on Calendar
- **2020-02-03** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-03** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-14** Reported from Public Safety with substitute (13-Y 9-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-14** Committee substitute printed 20108289D-H1 `substitution`
- **2020-02-16** Impact statement from DPB (SB263H1)
- **2020-02-18** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-19** Committee substitute agreed to 20108289D-H1
- **2020-02-19** Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB263H1
- **2020-02-19** Passed House with substitute (54-Y 46-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-19** VOTE: Passage (54-Y 46-N)
- **2020-02-21** House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 39-N)
- **2020-02-24** House insisted on substitute
- **2020-02-24** House requested conference committee
- **2020-02-26** Senate acceded to request (36-Y 3-N)
- **2020-02-26** Conferees appointed by Senate
- **2020-02-27** Conferees appointed by House
- **2020-03-04** Amended by conference committee
- **2020-03-04** Conference report agreed to by House (52-Y 42-N)
- **2020-03-04** VOTE: Agree To (52-Y 42-N)
- **2020-03-07** Conference report agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N)
- **2020-03-18** Enrolled
- **2020-03-18** Signed by President
- **2020-03-19** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-03-20** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 20, 2020
- **2020-03-20** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
- **2020-03-23** Impact statement from DPB (SB263ER)
- **2020-04-10** Approved by Governor-Chapter 1130 (effective 1/1/21) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f807a5da-9ef4-4b23-9e8e-519ed4cf3ff1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).