Stop this gun control crap you people don't know what the difference between a true assault weapon is I carried one during the gulf war and it's not like the one I have in my gun cabinet AR-15 sold in gun shops is not a assault weapon so give public the true information or better yet put it to a vote by the people let the people decide

I support this bill as no device that makes a firearm more lethal has a place in civilian life. This is a commonsense law that provides a clear description of the devices being prohibited and penalties for those who seek to take advantage of loopholes, and does not infringe on the rights of those who are in compliance.

Automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time. I support this bill as it would help to stop their proliferation.

My husband and I are gun owners and he is a retired military member of 30 years. We support common sense gun safety laws. We FULLY SUPPORT this bill as automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time.

I support HB 1597. As a gun owner I take firearm ownership seriously and feel it is important to protect children and loved ones in the home from accidental deaths and self harm. I store all of my firearms securely at all times and believe this to be an easy and important step to reduce death. As a former foster parent securing firearms was a requirement and my family had no issues following this guideline.

Regarding HB 1597, keeping guns secure and out of the hands of children and adults who should not have access to firearms is a common sense way to prevent both accidental and planned gun violence. We have heard too many times that the firearms used in crimes and accidental deaths were too easily accessible by people who should not have had access to them! On HB 1660, there is no reason any law abiding citizen should need to increase their firearm's rate of fire. None. That "feature" can only be used to maximize destruction and harm and no good will come of it. The weapons private citizens already have access to go far beyond what could possibly be justified for hunting or self defense.

I support HB1660 by Delegate Jones which would expand current Virginia law on rapid-fire devices, which currently prohibits bump stocks and auto sears, so that it prohibits any kind of device designed to increase a firearm’s rate of fire. This legislation helps close loop holes around the intent behind Virginia's prohibition of bump stocks. The intent of the previous bill was approved and passed; let's help ensure the intent is fully realized.

To the Committee, I strongly support HB 1660 regarding rapid fire devices. Rapid fire devices have been used by mass shooters to kill people in larger numbers before there’s even time for a public safety response. I remember the Las Vegas mass shooting which killed over 50 people in only a few minutes. Most “advanced” countries have zero or one homicide per year because they regulate guns for public safety. As a Clinical Psychologist for over 40 years, I have seen the severe impact of mass shootings. I met a person in the General Assembly yesterday who survived the shooting at Virginia Tech. She lost her favorite French Professor and friends in this terrible event. Please support this legislation. Thanks you. Dr. Twining

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.

Kits that allow a gun to be even MORE deadly to not have a place in our communities. I can think of absolutely NO REASON why these kits are needed in our cities and neighborhoods!

I support HB1660 as it provides clear and relevant description of the functional purpose of the devices being prohibited. By not relying on a simple name for the devices, and instead including current and future based on their function, this bill will protect us going into the future. The rapid fire function is not needed for legitimate responsible owners , but instead only serves to make a dangerous action much more lethal in both degree and number of people affected. As a Sunday School teacher of 5 & 6 year old children, I support legislation and legislators who prioritize keeping these children alive.

These bills allow for those that wish to have guns to still have them, yet put safeguards in place so that the guns do not get into the wrong hands, are misused or changed into weapons meant to kill many people in a short amount of time. Please vote for these common sense gun laws so that children can live safely in our community with gun owners who prioritize safety.

As both a gun owner and a mother of a small child I understand both the right to bear arms and, in light of the many preventable tragedies that occur with startling frequency, the need for oversight of said arms. With great power comes great responsibility and safety must be a top priority for gun owners. Devices that are specifically designed to dramatically increase a firearm’s rate of fire pose significant risks to public safety. Responsible gun ownership means recognizing the distinction between tools for lawful use and those that endanger lives by enabling rapid, uncontrolled fire. By expanding the prohibition to include other auto-sears-like devices, this legislation takes an important step in closing dangerous loopholes and preventing tragedies. I urge you to pass this bill to promote responsible gun culture and protect our communities. This is common sense legislation that any responsible gun owner should respect.

My name is Margaret Steiner from Reston, Virginia and I am a proud member of Moms Demand Action. I was in Richmond yesterday for Advocacy Day and I’m writing today to let you know I support both HB 1597 by Delegate Feggans and HB 1660 by Delate Jones. I support HB 1597 because this bill would require secure storage in any place where minors live. This is important to me because I have two young children. I support HB 1660 because this bill would ban all trigger activators and kits and because automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time.

I do NOT support this bill! It will not do anything to make people safer or to limit crime. It is putting a band-aid on a wound that doesn't exist.

I write as a taxpayer, a mother, a resident, a voter and a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia is strong SUPPORT of these bills. Our federal government refuses to do anything to save our children and make our country a safer place because they have all sold out to the NRA so the states is where is going to be so important! I am thankful for the efforts of our elected officials to do the right thing and high encourage passage of these bills.

HB 1597 by Delegate Feggans would require that firearms be securely stored in any place where its owner knows (or should know) that a minor or person who is legally prohibited from having guns is likely to be present, as well as in unattended vehicles. The bill would also create a statewide public awareness campaign about the importance of secure gun storage. HB1660 by Delegate Jones would expand current Virginia law on rapid-fire devices, which currently prohibits bump stocks and auto sears, so that it prohibits any kind of device designed to increase a firearm’s rate of fire. I'm a teacher and a mom with Moms Demand Action. I'm here today to let you know I I support both of these bills, HB 1597 and HB1660. Parents fear sending their children to school because of the increased rate of school shootings. With these laws we can ensure guns are stored safely and reduce the options to make guns mass shooting tools. Let’s protect our children and our state. I support bills HB 1597 and HB1660.

I support all of these bills that will make our Commonwealth safer, adding critical protections for all.

HB1607 - I SUPPORT this bill as assault weapons make it easier for a person to kill a large number of people in a very short period of time – including children in schools, families at the mall or movies, congregations in houses of worship, etc. Assault weapons have no place in civilian life. HB1608 - I SUPPORT this bill as industry accountability is a great way to force manufacturers to raise standards of safety. HB1622 - I SUPPORT this bill as it would crack down on vehicle gun thefts and make our communities safer. This should be especially important in Virginia as 2022 FBI crime data shows that Richmond, Virginia is among the top 5 cities with the highest rates of gun theft from cars HB1660 - I SUPPORT this bill as automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time and converting more guns to function this way is terrifying for the safety of our families. HB1797 - I SUPPORT this bill as visitors wishing to carry concealed handguns in Virginia should meet the same level of safety requirements that we require of our state’s residents. In many scenarios, visitors are held to the legal requirements of the state they are visiting, and applying this to gun safety should be common sense. HB1869 - I SUPPORT this bill as it expands critical protections to additional relationship categories. Especially in a time where people marry at a later age and/or more commonly cohabitate prior to marriage, allowing intimate partner, or dating relationships, to be protected keeps Virginians safer. HB1876 - I SUPPORT extending the protection of k-12 schools to our institutions of higher education. This is very personal to me as I spent 9 years working at a university and was involved in a scary situation where a student made violent threats with a firearm. HB1960 - I SUPPORT this bill, as it strengthens protections for domestic violence survivors.

Comments Document

Greetings, I'm writing today to let you know I support bills 1597 and 1660 because -- secure storage of guns saves lives and helps prevent firearm injuries, and -- prohibiting any kind of device designed to increase a firearm’s rate of fire will counteract intentions to increase that firearm's rate of death and injury. As is often said, "ULLU" saves lives! UnLoad & LockUp! (Logo attached - please share.) Thank you for your commitment to firearm safety.

I SUPPORT this bill. Responsible gun owners know better than anyone that safe storage and safe use of weapons are obligations one accepts upon purchase of a firearm. Unsecured weapons and modified weapons are extreme threats to children. As an educator, I demand that our legislators take these basic, common sense steps to protect the students I serve every day. Opposition to these bills is negligence and endangerment of our children.

I support these bills to make our community safer

I support HB1660 as automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time. As a Virginia Tech alumna who was on campus during the April 16, 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting, I strongly support increased regulations on guns and gun violence prevention legislation. As a mother working to keep all children safe from gun violence, I support HB1660 and reducing the number of gun-related deaths in our community and in our nation.

These are incredibly important mechanisms to protect our citizens especially children from unnecessary gun violence from individuals that are not registered or legally allowed to carry firearms and could be very dangerous in this setting.

I support this bill because I believe it would make our Commonwealth a safer place for everyone, including our children. Gun violence must be addressed and this is one of the many common sense laws proposed this session that can do that. Please take action and vote for this bill that could save lives.

As a graduate of Virginia Tech who was on campus during the mass shooting that occured on April 16, 2007, I strongly support increased regulations on guns. Having witnessed first half the devastation on communities that guns can cause, we need to prevent high capacity automatic and semi-automatic guns from being sold and ensure that loopholes that allow guns to be sold continue to be closed. As a mother of three young school aged children now, the sense of fear at which all families deal with on a daily basis is unfathomable and shouldn't be allowed to continue.

I strongly SUPPORT HB1660 as automatic and semi-automatic weapons can (and have!) kill(ed) a large number of people in a very short period of time.

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 these bills as data shows common sense gun laws save lives.

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 support these eight bills, as we need to take action against the senseless violence and deaths caused by guns. We need to ban assault weapons, hold the industry more accountable, prohibit people from leaving firearms visibly unattended in cars, ban kits that create automatic weapons, tighten concealed handgun permits, expand critical protections to additional relationship categories, extend protection against firearms to higher education, and protect domestic violence survivors. As a country and a state, we cannot continue to accept gun violence and deaths as the norm.

I support HB1607 as assault weapons make it easier for a person to kill a large number of people in a very short period of time – including children in schools. I felt the impact of this at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007 as 32 students and teachers lost their lives. I support HB1608 as industry accountability is a great way to force manufacturers to raise standards of safety. It shouldn't be easier to buy a gun than it is to rent a car. I support HB1622 as it would crack down on vehicle gun thefts and make our communities safer. I support HB1660 as automatic and semi-automatic weapons can kill a large number of people in a very short period of time. I felt the impact of this at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007 as 32 students and teachers lost their lives. I support HB1797 as visitors wishing to carry concealed handguns in Virginia should meet the same level of safety requirements that we require of our state’s residents. I support HB1869 as it expands critical protections to additional relationship categories. For example, this bill would include a relationship where a woman cohabitates with her boyfriend. I support HB1876 as it extends the protection of k-12 schools to our institutions of higher education. I support HB1960 as it strengthens protections for domestic violence survivors.

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.

I support this bill because I support any bill that seeks to create a safer community for our children to grow up in, that keeps guns away from schools, and that keep deadly weapons out of the hands of violent people who wish to violate our most protected right: the right to life. This is my number one issue.

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.

As a gun owner, I value the safe, responsible use of firearms and I believe that safety should always be a top priority in gun ownership, which is why I support HB1660. These devices, designed to dramatically increase a firearm’s rate of fire, serve no legitimate purpose for civilian use and pose significant risks to public safety. Responsible gun ownership means recognizing the distinction between tools for lawful use and those that endanger lives by enabling rapid, uncontrolled fire. By expanding the prohibition to include other auto-sears-like devices, this legislation takes an important step in closing dangerous loopholes and preventing tragedies. I urge you to pass this bill to promote responsible gun culture and protect our communities.

I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and I support this bill. Legislators should support bills to hold the gun industry accountable.