New Bills Filed for 2011 General Assembly

Two new pro-rights bills have been prefiled at the Virginia General Assembly for the coming session, one related to discharging air guns on private property and one having to do with purchasing or transporting a firearm for those subject to preliminary protective orders.

First is Senate Bill (SB) 757, patroned by State Senator Roscoe Reynolds.  This bill requires that any ordinance which prohibits the shooting of pneumatic guns in certain areas shall have, among its exceptions, an exception to allow the firearm to be discharged on private property with permission of the owner when discharge is conducted with reasonable care to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the property.  Localities are increasingly restricting the ability of residents to shoot air rifles on their private property in suburban areas, even when these residents have set up safe ranges that do not allow the BBs or pellets to leave the property.  This bill is a welcome remedy for these situations.

Next is SB 758, another bill patroned by Senator Reynolds.  This bill makes the prohibition on purchasing and transporting a firearm applicable to persons subject to preliminary protective orders that contain a finding of abuse or neglect. Under current law, persons subject to a preliminary protective order are prohibited from purchasing or transporting a firearm regardless of any court finding.

Prefiling of firearm bills has been slow to this point.  It is hard to tell if this is an indication that there will be fewer firearm bills this year than in the past.  Keep checking the blog for more information on the coming legislative session.