RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia lawmakers are now halfway through the General Assembly session.
All bills passed in the first chamber, where they were introduced, now have to go to the opposite chamber. If a bill doesn’t pass a full vote in the chamber it started Tuesday night, then it is dead Wednesday. This is called Crossover Day.
Here’s where some of the bills that we’ve covered stand.
First, there’s good news for gun control advocates. Several bills that would put stricter regulations on guns are one step closer to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk.
One legislation passed, SB2, would make it a class one misdemeanor for anyone who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports or transfers an assault firearm.
SB57 also passed. This law would make it illegal to carry a gun into a restaurant that serves alcohol, regardless if someone has a concealed carry permit.
SB273, introduced by Suhas Subramanyam (D-32), is moving forward. It seeks to mandate a five-day waiting period for firearm purchases in Virginia. A potential gun owner would be required to wait five days from the time he/she completes a consent form for a criminal background check.
Meanwhile, a bill that passed the House, HB36, would charge someone if that person lets a child carry a firearm or knows they have access to it.
A local law that would have made the Virginia Museum of Transportation a state agency, died in the House.
However, a similar bill in the state’s Senate will continue during the next General Assembly session in 2025.
Parents might be curious about which bills in the state’s capital might affect their kids at school.
During Crossover Day, a law, HB1046, that would require Virginia school districts to implement panic alarms for life-threatening emergencies failed in the House.
The law was similar to another bill called “Alyssa’s Law,” which was named after one of the Parkland High School shooting victims.
Students might be a couple of steps closer to receiving free meals.
Legislation that would allow all Virginia students to have free breakfast and lunch in schools regardless of income passed in the state’s Senate, SB283.
Another legislation could affect Martinsville residents. They could face a challenging question. A bill passed in the House that would allow people who live in Martinsville to vote whether they want the city to revert to a town, HB1511.