republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/sb-240.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk of injury to himself, etc., penalties.	Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; penalties. Creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or two law-enforcement officers may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate, who must consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth, for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. Upon service of an emergency substantial risk order, the person who is subject to the order shall be given the opportunity to voluntarily relinquish any firearm. An emergency substantial risk order shall expire on the fourteenth day following issuance of the order. The bill requires a court hearing in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the order was issued within 14 days from issuance of an emergency substantial risk order to determine whether a substantial risk order should be issued. Seized firearms shall be retained by a law-enforcement agency for the duration of an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order or, for a substantial risk order and with court approval, may be transferred to a third party 21 years of age or older chosen by the person from whom they were seized. The bill allows the complainant of the original warrant to file a motion for a hearing to extend the substantial risk order prior to its expiration. The court may extend the substantial risk order for a period not longer than 180 days. The bill provides that persons who are subject to a substantial risk order, until such order has been dissolved by a court, are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; are disqualified from having a concealed handgun permit; and may not be employed by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill also provides that a person who transfers a firearm to a person he knows has been served with a warrant or who is the subject of a substantial risk order is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill creates a computerized substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued pursuant to provisions in the bill.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	SB 240	Virginia SB 240 (2020)	bill		enacted	George L. Barker	6	58	8	2020-01-02	2020-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/783f4a91-66e7-4dbc-a27d-77ea9855b1ef	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB240	27b7e54b2834ab89a8dd2f8f4d2951afc380c01b7d594278a1fbe7ddbff4205f	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 240 (2020) — Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk of injury to himself, etc., penalties.

Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; penalties. Creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or two law-enforcement officers may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate, who must consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth, for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. Upon service of an emergency substantial risk order, the person who is subject to the order shall be given the opportunity to voluntarily relinquish any firearm. An emergency substantial risk order shall expire on the fourteenth day following issuance of the order. The bill requires a court hearing in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the order was issued within 14 days from issuance of an emergency substantial risk order to determine whether a substantial risk order should be issued. Seized firearms shall be retained by a law-enforcement agency for the duration of an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order or, for a substantial risk order and with court approval, may be transferred to a third party 21 years of age or older chosen by the person from whom they were seized. The bill allows the complainant of the original warrant to file a motion for a hearing to extend the substantial risk order prior to its expiration. The court may extend the substantial risk order for a period not longer than 180 days. The bill provides that persons who are subject to a substantial risk order, until such order has been dissolved by a court, are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; are disqualified from having a concealed handgun permit; and may not be employed by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill also provides that a person who transfers a firearm to a person he knows has been served with a warrant or who is the subject of a substantial risk order is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill creates a computerized substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued pursuant to provisions in the bill.

Version chain

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

1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0888) (committee substitute) — source
2. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB240ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute with amendments SB240ES3 (committee substitute) — source
4. Impact statement from VCSC (SB240H1) (committee substitute) — source
5. Impact statement from VCSC (SB240S3) (committee substitute) — source
6. SB240S2 (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• House substitute agreed to by Senate (21-Y 17-N) — 21–17 (pass) · upper
• Pending question ordered (27-Y 13-N) — 27–13 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 8-N) — 12–8 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 5-N) — 9–5 (pass) · upper
• Substitute by Senator Surovell 20105922D-S3 agreed to (21-Y 19-N) — 21–19 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (53-Y 47-N) — 52–47 (pass) · lower
• Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) — 21–19 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• George L. Barker — primary (person)
• Adam P. Ebbin — cosponsor (person)
• Barbara A. Favola — cosponsor (person)
• Janet D. Howell — cosponsor (person)
• Jennifer B. Boysko — cosponsor (person)
• John J. Bell — cosponsor (person)
• Joseph D. Morrissey — cosponsor (person)
• Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• Scott A. Surovell — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2020-01-02 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20103425D introduction
• 2020-01-02 Referred to Committee on the Judiciary referral-committee
• 2020-01-06 Impact statement from VCSC (SB240)
• 2020-01-08 Moved from Courts of Justice to Judiciary due to a change of the committee name
• 2020-01-13 Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 5-N) committee-passage
• 2020-01-13 Committee substitute printed 20105669D-S1 substitution
• 2020-01-14 Impact statement from VCSC (SB240S1)
• 2020-01-14 Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
• 2020-01-15 Impact statement from DPB (SB240S1)
• 2020-01-15 Floor substitute printed 20105857D-S2 (Morrissey)
• 2020-01-15 Passed by for the day
• 2020-01-16 Floor substitute printed 20105922D-S3 (Surovell)
• 2020-01-16 Passed by temporarily
• 2020-01-16 Passed by for the day
• 2020-01-17 Passed by for the day
• 2020-01-20 Passed by for the day
• 2020-01-21 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-01-21 Committee substitute rejected 20105669D-S1
• 2020-01-21 Substitute by Senator Morrisey withdrawn 20105857D-S2
• 2020-01-21 Reading of substitute waived
• 2020-01-21 Pending question ordered (27-Y 13-N)
• 2020-01-21 Substitute by Senator Surovell 20105922D-S3 agreed to (21-Y 19-N)
• 2020-01-21 Reading of amendment waived
• 2020-01-21 Amendment #1 by Senator Norment ruled out of order
• 2020-01-21 Amendment #2 by Senator Norment ruled out of order
• 2020-01-21 Amendment #3 by Senator Norment agreed to amendment-passage
• 2020-01-21 Reading of amendment waived
• 2020-01-21 Amendment by Senator Surovell agreed to amendment-passage
• 2020-01-21 Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute with amendments SB240ES3
• 2020-01-21 Title replaced 20105922D-S3
• 2020-01-21 Printed as engrossed 20105922D-ES3
• 2020-01-22 Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N) passage, reading-3
• 2020-01-23 Impact statement from VCSC (SB240ES3)
• 2020-01-23 Impact statement from VCSC (SB240S3)
• 2020-02-09 Impact statement from DPB (SB240ES3)
• 2020-02-13 Placed on Calendar
• 2020-02-13 Read first time reading-1
• 2020-02-13 Referred to Committee on Public Safety referral-committee
• 2020-02-21 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2020-02-21 Reported from Public Safety with substitute (12-Y 8-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-21 Committee substitute printed 20108809D-H1 substitution
• 2020-02-21 Impact statement from VCSC (SB240H1)
• 2020-02-24 Impact statement from DPB (SB240H1)
• 2020-02-25 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-02-26 Read third time reading-3
• 2020-02-26 Committee substitute agreed to 20108809D-H1
• 2020-02-26 Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB240H1
• 2020-02-26 Passed House with substitute (53-Y 47-N) passage
• 2020-02-26 VOTE: Passage (53-Y 47-N)
• 2020-02-28 House substitute agreed to by Senate (21-Y 17-N)
• 2020-02-28 Title replaced 20108809D-H1
• 2020-03-05 Enrolled
• 2020-03-05 Impact statement from DPB (SB240ER)
• 2020-03-06 Signed by Speaker
• 2020-03-07 Signed by President
• 2020-03-12 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 12, 2020
• 2020-03-12 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
• 2020-04-08 Approved by Governor-Chapter 888 (effective 7/1/20) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/783f4a91-66e7-4dbc-a27d-77ea9855b1ef. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).