---
type: "Bill"
title: "Firearm or explosive material; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, exceptions."
description: "Firearm or explosive material; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, exceptions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 1492"
citation: "Virginia SB 1492 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["DeSteph"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 34
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2023-01-19"
last_action: "2023-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ad30c6ce-8fc4-4fd7-a343-a129c54b3a29"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+SB1492"
source_hash: "a82b700c775f90938fed7d414398b5c0f7ca40deb462386dbf4f21f4ba28beb1"
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 1492 (2023) — Firearm or explosive material; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, exceptions.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0810** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0810)
2. **Presented and ordered printed 23104400D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1492)
3. **Printed as engrossed 23104400D-E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1492E)
4. **SB1492ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1492ER)

## Votes

- Reported from Judiciary with amendment (15-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Public Safety (20-Y 2-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 2-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (59-Y 40-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper

## Sponsors

- DeSteph — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-19** Presented and ordered printed 23104400D `introduction`
- **2023-01-19** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-23** Reported from Judiciary with amendment (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-24** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2023-01-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-01-25** Reading of amendment waived
- **2023-01-25** Committee amendment agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2023-01-25** Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1492E
- **2023-01-25** Printed as engrossed 23104400D-E
- **2023-01-26** Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-01-27** Impact statement from DPB (SB1492E)
- **2023-02-08** Placed on Calendar
- **2023-02-08** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2023-02-08** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-08** Assigned PS sub: Subcommittee #1 `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-09** Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 2-N)
- **2023-02-10** Reported from Public Safety (20-Y 2-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-14** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-15** Passed by for the day
- **2023-02-16** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2023-02-16** Passed House (59-Y 40-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-16** VOTE: Passage (59-Y 40-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-21** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-02-21** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1492ER) `passage`
- **2023-02-21** Impact statement from DPB (SB1492ER)
- **2023-02-21** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-02-24** Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-03-02** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 2, 2023 `enrolled`
- **2023-03-02** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 27, 2023 `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-26** Governor's recommendation received by Senate `executive-veto-line-item`
- **2023-04-12** Passed by for the day
- **2023-04-12** Communicated to Governor
- **2023-05-12** Approved by Governor-Chapter 810 (effective 7/1/23) `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-12** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0810)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ad30c6ce-8fc4-4fd7-a343-a129c54b3a29`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).