---
type: "Bill"
title: "Muzzleloading rifle and shotgun; clarifies definitions."
description: "Muzzleloading rifle and shotgun; definitions.Removes the requirement that the propellant be loaded along withthe projectile or projectiles in the definitions of muzzleloadingrifle and muzzleloading shotgun."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 2298"
citation: "Virginia HB 2298 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["C. Matthew Fariss"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 23
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-01-18"
last_action: "2021-03-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/952b7553-f908-4f6c-b788-402cdfdc8d83"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+sum+HB2298"
source_hash: "a82322781f22cc1d6ec73df7954fa8cef18555c62787356a23929521318994d1"
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 HB 2298 (2021) — Muzzleloading rifle and shotgun; clarifies definitions.

Muzzleloading rifle and shotgun; definitions.Removes the requirement that the propellant be loaded along withthe projectile or projectiles in the definitions of muzzleloadingrifle and muzzleloading shotgun.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0432** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+CHAP0432)
2. **HB2298ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+HB2298ER)
3. **Presented and ordered printed 21102689D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+HB2298)

## Votes

- Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (18-Y 4-N) — **18–4** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (32-Y 0-N) — **32–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Judiciary (14-Y 0-N) — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (74-Y 22-N) — **74–21** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- C. Matthew Fariss — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-18** Presented and ordered printed 21102689D `introduction`
- **2021-01-18** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-21** Impact statement from DPB (HB2298)
- **2021-01-22** Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (18-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-03** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2021-02-04** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2021-02-05** Read third time and passed House (74-Y 22-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-05** VOTE: Passage (74-Y 22-N)
- **2021-02-05** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2021-02-05** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-05** Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Judiciary (14-Y 0-N)
- **2021-02-17** Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-19** Constitutional reading dispensed (32-Y 0-N)
- **2021-02-22** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2021-02-22** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2021-02-25** Enrolled
- **2021-02-25** Impact statement from DPB (HB2298ER)
- **2021-02-25** Signed by President
- **2021-02-26** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-03-01** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 1, 2021
- **2021-03-01** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 31, 2021
- **2021-03-30** Approved by Governor-Chapter 432 (effective 7/1/21) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/952b7553-f908-4f6c-b788-402cdfdc8d83`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).