Fabio
138 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
138 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "Bill"
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title: "Firearm industry members; creates standards of responsible conduct, civil liability."
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description: "Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; (iv) prevent the installation and use of an auto sear on firearm-related products; and (v) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct."
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jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
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legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
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session: "2026"
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identifier: "HB 21"
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citation: "Virginia HB 21 (2026)"
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classification: ["bill"]
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subjects: []
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status: "enacted"
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primary_sponsors: ["Dan I. Helmer"]
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version_count: 6
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action_count: 38
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vote_count: 8
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first_action: "2025-12-22"
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last_action: "2026-04-10"
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source: "openstates"
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source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4d7198b6-f2ae-489d-a968-98fd8ee885e9"
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source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB21"
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source_hash: "028b2fb06218af366c394ae15c6e2b3dd769ac23ef3a532e292a0cfd635082e2"
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vintage: "2026-07-01"
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source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
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retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
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confidence: "reported"
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tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
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---
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# Virginia HB 21 (2026) — Firearm industry members; creates standards of responsible conduct, civil liability.
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Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; (iv) prevent the installation and use of an auto sear on firearm-related products; and (v) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct.
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## Version chain
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The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
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1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082005.PDF)
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2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218313.PDF)
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3. **Finance and Appropriations Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181255.PDF)
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4. **Firearms Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103767.PDF)
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5. **Public Safety Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1104663.PDF)
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6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201034.PDF)
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## Votes
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- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **7–3** (pass) · lower
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- H VOTE: — **62–36** (pass) · lower
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- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- H VOTE: — **62–35** (pass) · lower
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- Passage R — **21–19** (pass) · upper
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- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute — **10–5** (pass) · upper
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- Reported from Public Safety with substitute — **15–6** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Courts of Justice — **9–5** (pass) · upper
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## Sponsors
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- Dan I. Helmer — primary (person)
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- Alfonso H. Lopez — cosponsor (person)
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- Amy J. Laufer — cosponsor (person)
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- Atoosa R. Reaser — cosponsor (person)
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- Betsy B. Carr — cosponsor (person)
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- Charlie Schmidt — cosponsor (person)
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- David A. Reid — cosponsor (person)
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- Destiny LeVere Bolling — cosponsor (person)
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- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker — cosponsor (person)
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- Garrett McGuire — cosponsor (person)
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- Gretchen M. Bulova — cosponsor (person)
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- Holly M. Seibold — cosponsor (person)
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- Irene Shin — cosponsor (person)
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- JJ Singh — cosponsor (person)
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- Jessica L. Anderson — cosponsor (person)
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- Karen Keys-Gamarra — cosponsor (person)
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- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie — cosponsor (person)
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- Kathy K.L. Tran — cosponsor (person)
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- Kimberly Pope Adams — cosponsor (person)
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- Laura Jane Cohen — cosponsor (person)
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- Lindsey Dougherty — cosponsor (person)
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- Marcia S. "Cia" Price — cosponsor (person)
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- Mark C. Downey — cosponsor (person)
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- Marty Martinez — cosponsor (person)
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- May Nivar — cosponsor (person)
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- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)
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- Patrick A. Hope — cosponsor (person)
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- Phil M. Hernandez — cosponsor (person)
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- Rae Cousins — cosponsor (person)
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- Rozia A. Henson, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
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- Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)
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- Shelly A. Simonds — cosponsor (person)
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## Timeline
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The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
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- **2025-12-22** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100319D `filing, introduction`
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- **2025-12-22** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
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- **2026-01-16** Assigned HPS sub: Firearms `referral-committee`
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- **2026-01-29** House subcommittee offered
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- **2026-01-29** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N) `substitution`
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- **2026-01-30** Reported from Public Safety with substitute (15-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-01-30** Committee substitute printed 26106578D-H1 `substitution`
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- **2026-02-03** Read first time `reading-1`
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- **2026-02-04** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2026-02-04** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
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- **2026-02-04** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2026-02-05** Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
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- **2026-02-06** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
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- **2026-02-06** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
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- **2026-02-13** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB21)
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- **2026-02-23** Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-25** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (10-Y 5-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-25** Committee substitute printed 26108624D-S1 `substitution`
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- **2026-02-26** Rules suspended
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- **2026-02-26** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
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- **2026-02-26** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
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- **2026-02-27** Read third time `reading-3`
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- **2026-02-27** Passed by for the day
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- **2026-03-02** Passed by for the day
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- **2026-03-03** Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
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- **2026-03-03** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2026-03-03** Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) `passage`
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- **2026-03-05** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB21)
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- **2026-03-05** Senate substitute agreed to by House (62-Y 36-N 0-A) `substitution`
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- **2026-03-12** Enrolled `enrolled`
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- **2026-03-12** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB21ER) `passage`
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- **2026-03-12** Signed by Speaker `passage`
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- **2026-03-12** Signed by President `passage`
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- **2026-03-14** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
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- **2026-03-14** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
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- **2026-03-16** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB21)
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- **2026-04-10** Approved by Governor-Chapter 529 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
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- **2026-04-10** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0529)
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## Source
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OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4d7198b6-f2ae-489d-a968-98fd8ee885e9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).
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