republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/sb-263.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	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.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	SB 263	Virginia SB 263 (2020)	bill		enacted	John J. Bell	5	43	9	2020-01-03	2020-04-10	openstates	ocd-bill/f807a5da-9ef4-4b23-9e8e-519ed4cf3ff1	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB263	97beca1933eeba64a8fcadb35df3566c01be3de95dfa6f8c2280e1dc661792b6	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	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
2. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB263ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. Engrossed by Senate as amended SB263E (committee substitute) — source
4. Engrossed by Senate as amended SB263E (committee substitute) — source
5. Impact statement from DPB (SB263H1) (committee substitute) — source

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; origin ocd-bill/f807a5da-9ef4-4b23-9e8e-519ed4cf3ff1. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).