With reference to HB1607: The definition of ‘assault firearms’ used for this bill (as defined in 18.2-308.2:2) is completely arbitrary and includes the most popular firearms in use today by hundreds of thousands of law-abiding citizens in this country. Ref HB1569: The fee for a CHP was always supposed to be used to cover the time and manpower it took to do the background check. As we all know, that can be done now with two minutes on a keyboard. Some localities have set their fees as low as $10. Since a citizen having a CHP, indicating that they have passed a government mandated background check, is only a benefit to the public and not the citizen, the burden should be carried by the public, not the citizen.

Please support HB1569. According to the FBI data, individual citizens who have gone through the lengthy process to obtain a carry permit are six times LESS likely than active duty police to be arrested for a crime. That means the citizens who are renewing their carry permit are probably the most law abiding class of citizens in the state. Why should they be punished with additional fees when renewing their permit.

HB1569 should not be allowed to pass. You want to hide your gun, pay up!

I support the 2nd amendment. As the 2nd amendment is a RIGHT not a privilege I do NOT support these continued attempts to destroy or limit that right in any way shape of form. I support no FEEs on a permit for this right (I SUPPORT HB1569 and HB1559). I support no GUN bills or law that further limits this I right. I DO NOT SUPPORT HB1597. I DO NOT SUPPORT HB 1607.

I support this bill. This change is long overdue. Background checks are now quick and easy for most applicants, allowing many sheriffs in Virginia to perform background checks for free. $10 should more than cover the costs of a background check. Please pass this bill!

To the honorable Committee's and representatives, The bills referenced should be automatically tossed. As representatives, you have an oath to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States including the 2nd Amendment which limits GOVERNMENT authority to control firearms, not citizen. Furthermore, each one of these rules does one of two things: 1. It has not and never will do anything to solve the issue of violence. California, New York, Chicago, and many other cities controlled by democrats, and that have passed some of the most sweeping control, has failed to taper down the violence. Why is this truth ignored when it has been STATISTICALLY proven that more firearms and freedom does limit violence. If it saves one child, is it not worth it? Second, it flies in the face of several landmark rulings. First is D.C. vs Heller, and the Second is Bruen vs New York. Both cases have absolutely been paramount in putting the limitation on these bills and must be brought into consideration when reviewing these bills. I ask that you all apply the Historical clause as prescribed by the Supreme Court, and the measure of the absolute law of the land in the US Constitution, and reject these bills outright. The Constitution is absolute and is not fluid. If it is, then many of the other rights and limitations are no longer valid and the whole basis of society is no longer viable in a country such as ours. Thank you.

The fees should not be greater that the cost. Money should not be made on people exercising their constitutional right!

Gun reform is critical to keeping our communities safe. Every measure we can pass to ensure our loved ones and neighbors are not at risk of the tragedies that has destroyed too many American families and communities already. Background checks need to be more thorough, red flags must be implemented. There is no precaution too small when it comes to senseless violence and loss at the hands of firearms. and, possibly most importantly, no civilian needs to be able to access or use an assault rifle or the materials to build one (ghost guns/kits). These must be banned here and everywhere. Too much carnage has already taken place on our streets, in our schools and in communities across our country. The gun industry has gone unchecked long enough and accountability is needed today. Change is necessary and we can be that change now. Please do whats best and right to keep Virginians safe from gun violence.

I support these bills to make our community safer

No new gun control. Enforce the current laws. Stop trying to make good guys into bad guys.

Please pass these comments sense safety laws. The county desperately needs them.

I support HB 1559 because it clarifies what is and is NOT required to renew one's CHP. If the General Assembly wishes to ensure Virginians are all educated in gun safety, then restore requirements for all students to be instructed in gun safety as part of physical education or health classes. I support HB 1569 because it lowers the cost of a permit making self-defense more accessible for lower income individuals. Futhermore, since VA no longer requires FBI fingerprinting for this process, the $25 fee for FBI printing incorporated into the fee structure is no longer needed. Localities keeping the higher fees are merely committing theft. I oppose HB 1597 because my hands are too small to use biometric safes. My fingers cannot reach the fingerprint readers/scanners, AND my fingerprints are difficult to read by electronic devices. Furthermore, I resent the government interference in how I manage my own home. This law puts me in danger in the event of a home intrusion. I do not appreciate this reckless attempt to regulate how I protect myself and my family in my own home. Furthermore, enforcement of these requirements would require egregious violations of privacy in our own homes. I oppose HB 1660 because it is too vague to be enforceable. If I can use my own hands or my shirt sleeves or a belt loop to "bump fire" a semi-automatic firearm, will I be arrested? Will my clothing be seized? Will my hands be cut off? Furthermore, at what exact point does a firearm 'mimic automatic weapon fire,' considering that different automatic firearms have different rates of fire? And how does someone determine what the rate of fire is for a person shooting a firearm unassisted? There are professional shooters, such as world champion Jerry Miculek, who can shoot a firearm without assisting devices at eye-popping speeds. Unadulterated semi-automatic firearms can be 'bump fired' by simply holding them the right way. If we put violent criminals in prison and keep them there as long as possible - even restore the death penalty for those who murder repeatedly or commit mass killings, we have no need to regulate firearms or their users in this way.

I am in support of HB1569 - The Reduction of Fees for CHP. Why is the state of Virginia creating additional obstacles, such as excessively charging responsible residents, to exercise THEIR constitutional right? Keyword = "Constitutional." Furthermore, due to the advancements in identification technology that reduces the need for things like fingerprinting, this practice is outdated, so therefore, (underlyingly) charging a CHP applicant (for it) is unnecessary and the present fee should reflect that reduction.

HB1559: I support this bill. This is a simple, common-sense bill to correct a misunderstanding that some circuit court clerks have. It does not change who is eligible for a concealed handgun permit. It only prevents people from being needlessly hassled by clerks who don't know the law. HB1569: I support this bill. Concealed handgun permit fees are being set higher than necessary by some localities as a source of extra revenue or as a way of discouraging applicants. The existing fee caps were set based on a fingerprinting requirement that no longer exists, so it makes perfect sense to reduce the cap. HB1597: I oppose this bill, which reads like a laundry list of gun storage ideas which may be good ideas in many circumstances, but which should not be mandated by law. The bill even contradicts itself, suggesting that allowing minors to have unsupervised access to firearms should result in a jail sentence, but also saying that if an unsupervised minor uses a firearm in self-defense, it should not be a violation of the law. This bill's provisions related to storage in a vehicle would serve only to punish theft victims. Some people wouldn't need to store their firearms in their vehicles if not for laws passed in 2020 which made it illegal to carry a gun in many public places. HB1660: I oppose this bill. The General Assembly should not attempt to regulate firearm components based on subjective criteria which can vary from person to person.

Shall NOT be infringed.

SUPPORT HB1559-CHP Renewal Proof Of Training: This common-sense bill clarifies for judges and circuit court clerks that once the proof of training is furnished with the initial permit application, that proof carries over to renewals. It is in keeping with 18.2-308.02 (B) which states, "The court shall require proof that the applicant has demonstrated competence with a handgun in person and the applicant may demonstrate such competence by one of the following, but no applicant shall be required to submit to any additional demonstration of competence, nor shall any proof of demonstrated competence expire:" The fact that the applicant has previously held a Virginia CHP is a matter of record and establishes that they have demonstrated competence previously. SUPPORT HB1569-Reduction of fees for CHP: The fee for Virginia Resident Concealed Handgun Permits (CHP) was set based on the cost to the localities and the state, and was ONLY intended to reimburse the government for the expense of processing the permit applications. It was NOT intended as a tax. In fact, if it were a tax it would be akin to a poll tax, which we all can agree is unconstitutional. The allowable amount for the local law enforcement was set at UP TO $35 and included $25 for the FBI fingerprint processing. Fingerprints are no longer allowed for resident concealed handgun permits, and the processing of applications is much less labor intensive due to digital records being widely available. The allowable fee should be reduced accordingly. OPPOSE HB 1597-Secure storage of firearms: The proposed 18.2-308.7:1 is in conflict with the referenced 18.2-56.2, which allows access to firearms by minors age 14 and older, provided the access does not reclessly endanger life or limb of a child under age 14. HB1597 also does not take into account access for hunting. Youth age 12 and above who have successfully completed the hunter education safety course and obtained a hunting license can legally hunt unsupervised according to current Virginia code. In addition, this does not allow for all kinds of firearm locks, including the padlock type that is typically supplied with new firearms. The requirement for biometric safes is unaffordable for many, and biometrics are notoriously unreliable, which could result in injury or loss of life in emergency situations. The section of this bill applying to firearm storage is not always achievable. Some vehicles do not have a place that will adequately conceal a safe. And the penalty section punishes the victim for actions beyond their control if a criminal breaks into the vehicle and steals the gun, which is compounded if that person uses it in a crime and/or harms himself or someone else with it. OPPOSE HB1660-Altering the definition of Trigger Activator: The bill as proposed is ambiguous and unenforceable. What is the definition of "...rate of fire...faster thant that possible for a person to fire such semi-automatic firearm unassisted?" Who sets the standard for this?

I am against any gun control legislation for adults over 18 years old.