republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2021/sb-1381.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Firearm; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, state-owned bldgs."
description: "Possessing or transporting a weapon within Capitol Square or into building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person to possess or transport any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) frame, receiver, muffler, silencer, missile, projectile, or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon; or (iii) other dangerous weapon within Capitol Square or into any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth. A dangerous weapon includes a bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, fighting chain, throwing star, and oriental dart or any weapon of like kind. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement officers, retired state police officers, conservators of the peace, magistrates, court officers, judges, county or city treasurers, commissioners or deputy commissioners of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, authorized security personnel, bail bondsmen, bail enforcement agents, and active military personnel while in the conduct of such persons' official duties. The bill requires that notice of the provisions prohibiting the possessing or transporting of such weapons be posted at each public entrance to Capitol Square or such building owned or leased by the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that any weapon or item possessed or transported in violation of these provisions is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeiture to the Commonwealth."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 1381"
citation: "Virginia SB 1381 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Adam P. Ebbin"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 63
vote_count: 15
first_action: "2021-01-12"
last_action: "2021-04-07"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/66011c8b-6866-42fe-a29a-f06a4e33fb23"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+sum+SB1381"
source_hash: "8b72ea0a081124070f4fb62a2e4e685e40c1bddf503f96a673a7ad73e1308ad0"
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 1381 (2021) — Firearm; carrying within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, state-owned bldgs.

Possessing or transporting a weapon within Capitol Square or into building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person to possess or transport any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) frame, receiver, muffler, silencer, missile, projectile, or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon; or (iii) other dangerous weapon within Capitol Square or into any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth. A dangerous weapon includes a bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, fighting chain, throwing star, and oriental dart or any weapon of like kind. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement officers, retired state police officers, conservators of the peace, magistrates, court officers, judges, county or city treasurers, commissioners or deputy commissioners of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, authorized security personnel, bail bondsmen, bail enforcement agents, and active military personnel while in the conduct of such persons' official duties. The bill requires that notice of the provisions prohibiting the possessing or transporting of such weapons be posted at each public entrance to Capitol Square or such building owned or leased by the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that any weapon or item possessed or transported in violation of these provisions is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeiture to the Commonwealth.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0527** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+CHAP0527)
2. **Committee substitute printed 21200287D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+SB1381H1)
3. **Conference substitute printed 21200678D-S2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+SB1381S2)
4. **Governor's substitute printed 21200902D-S3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+SB1381S3)
5. **SB1381ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+SB1381ER)
6. **SB1381ER2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+SB1381ER2)

## Votes

- Reported from Public Safety with substitute (13-Y 9-N) — **13–9** (pass) · lower
- Continued to Special Session 1 in Public Safety — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 19-N) — **21–18** (pass) · upper
- House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 39-N) — **0–39** (fail) · upper
- Senate acceded to request (21-Y 17-N) — **21–17** (pass) · upper
- Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N) — **21–18** (pass) · upper
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N) — **21–17** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (35-Y 0-N) — **35–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Agreed To (51-Y 46-N) — **50–46** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 4-N) — **9–4** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 3-N) — **5–3** (pass) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N) — **21–18** (pass) · upper
- Reconsideration of Governor's recommendation agreed to (40-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (52-Y 47-N) — **51–47** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Agree To (52-Y 46-N) — **51–46** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Adam P. Ebbin — primary (person)
- Scott A. Surovell — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-12** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/21 21102656D `introduction`
- **2021-01-12** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-14** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1381)
- **2021-01-19** Impact statement from DPB (SB1381)
- **2021-01-27** Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-01-27** Committee substitute printed 21103907D-S1 `substitution`
- **2021-01-28** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1381S1)
- **2021-01-28** Impact statement from DPB (SB1381S1)
- **2021-01-29** Constitutional reading dispensed (35-Y 0-N)
- **2021-02-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2021-02-01** Reading of substitute waived
- **2021-02-01** Committee substitute agreed to 21103907D-S1
- **2021-02-01** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB1381S1
- **2021-02-02** Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-02-05** Placed on Calendar
- **2021-02-05** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2021-02-05** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-08** Continued to Special Session 1 in Public Safety
- **2021-02-09** Assigned PS sub: Firearms `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-16** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 3-N)
- **2021-02-19** Reported from Public Safety with substitute (13-Y 9-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-19** Committee substitute printed 21200287D-H1 `substitution`
- **2021-02-19** Impact statement from DPB (SB1381H1)
- **2021-02-22** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1381H1)
- **2021-02-23** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2021-02-24** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2021-02-24** Committee substitute agreed to 21200287D-H1
- **2021-02-24** Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB1381H1
- **2021-02-24** Passed House with substitute (52-Y 47-N) `passage`
- **2021-02-24** VOTE: Passage (52-Y 47-N)
- **2021-02-25** House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 39-N)
- **2021-02-25** House insisted on substitute
- **2021-02-25** House requested conference committee
- **2021-02-25** Senate acceded to request (21-Y 17-N)
- **2021-02-25** Conferees appointed by Senate
- **2021-02-25** Conferees appointed by House
- **2021-02-27** Amended by conference committee
- **2021-02-27** Conference substitute printed 21200678D-S2
- **2021-02-27** Conference report agreed to by House (51-Y 46-N)
- **2021-02-27** VOTE: Agreed To (51-Y 46-N)
- **2021-02-27** Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N)
- **2021-03-01** Impact statement from DPB (SB1381S2)
- **2021-03-01** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1381S2)
- **2021-03-09** Enrolled
- **2021-03-09** Signed by President
- **2021-03-11** Impact statement from DPB (SB1381ER)
- **2021-03-11** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-03-15** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 15, 2021
- **2021-03-15** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 31, 2021
- **2021-03-31** Governor's recommendation received by Senate
- **2021-03-31** Governor's substitute printed 21200902D-S3
- **2021-04-02** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1381S3)
- **2021-04-07** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N)
- **2021-04-07** Reconsideration of Governor's recommendation agreed to (40-Y 0-N)
- **2021-04-07** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 19-N)
- **2021-04-07** House concurred in Governor's recommendation (52-Y 46-N)
- **2021-04-07** VOTE: Agree To (52-Y 46-N)
- **2021-04-07** Governor's recommendation adopted
- **2021-04-07** Reenrolled
- **2021-04-07** Reenrolled bill text (SB1381ER2)
- **2021-04-07** Signed by President as reenrolled
- **2021-04-07** Signed by President as reenrolled
- **2021-04-07** Enacted, Chapter 527 (effective 7/1/21) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/66011c8b-6866-42fe-a29a-f06a4e33fb23`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).