The “Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act” Would Require Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms, Prevent Children from Accessing Firearms, Limit Handgun Purchases, Keep Guns Away From Those Who Pose Risk to Themselves & Others

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger — a Member of the U.S. House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force — today joined every lawmaker from Virginia’s U.S. House Democratic delegation in leading legislation to enact a series of commonsense gun violence prevention measures adopted by Virginia in 2020.

The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act would bring to the federal level changes adopted by the Virginia state legislature and signed into law in 2020 to reduce gun violence. This legislation includes provisions to mandate the reporting of lost and stolen firearms, prevent children from accessing firearms, and implement a new limit on handgun purchases.

“As a former federal agent who carried a firearm every day, I know what responsible gun ownership entails. I also understand that keeping guns out of the hands of those who might put themselves or others in danger can help keep our communities safe,” said Spanberger. “No American should have to fear gun violence in their classroom, at their workplace, in their local Walmart, on their neighborhood playground, or while walking home from school. By following Virginia’s lead and taking these commonsense steps — like passing Lucia’s Law at the federal level, Congress can help prevent tragedies before they happen, curb our nation’s scourge of gun violence, and save lives.”

The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act would build on Virginia’s state-level laws adopted in 2020 — and Lucia’s Law, which takes effect in Virginia on July 1, 2024 — through the following provisions:     

• Limiting handgun purchases to one per month. The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act limits purchases of handguns to one per month to curtail the stockpiling and trafficking of firearms and promoting domestic and international security.

• Reporting Lost or Stolen Firearms. This legislation requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to the appropriate state or local law enforcement agency within 48 hours. State and local law enforcement agencies would be directed to report data collected to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.

• Preventing Firearm Access to Minors. The bill promotes responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices by holding individuals liable for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun in the presence of a minor. This will prevent the most common cause of accidental shooting deaths among children.

• Improving Protection Order Prohibitions. This legislation strengthens safeguards for victims of domestic violence by closing the “boyfriend loophole,” which currently allows abusive non-spousal partners to possess firearms, and expands firearm laws to prohibit persons convicted of stalking or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing firearms.

• Strengthening Extreme Risk Protection Orders. The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act establishes a federal extreme risk protection order process to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others and incentivizes states to implement their own extreme risk protection laws and court protocols.

• Enacting Lucia’s Law: This legislation establishes criminal liability for a caregiver who gives a child in their care access to a firearm when they are aware that child poses a risk of violence to themselves or others.

Alongside Spanberger, the legislation was led in the U.S. House by U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Donald Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04). U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate earlier this year.

Click here to read the full bill text.

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