Virginia Makes History as General Assembly Sends Landmark Slate of Gun Safety Bills to Governor Spanberger’s Desk

More Than 20 Gun Safety Bills Heading to Governor Spanberger's Desk; Five of the Bills Were Led by Former Moms Demand Action Volunteers

RICHMOND, VA - As the Virginia legislative session officially came to a close, the Virginia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety's grassroots network, released the following statements celebrating a historic year for public safety. In total, more than 20 gun safety bills are headed to the Governor's desk, a historic marker of progress for the Commonwealth. These historic measures include a ban on the sale of assault weapons and high capacity magazines, making Virginia the 11th state in the nation to enact such a ban, alongside critical protections for domestic violence survivors, a ghost guns ban, and industry accountability measures.

The sweeping slate of legislation comes after a massive electoral victory in November 2025 when a wave of Moms Demand Action volunteers were elected to state and local office. Today, Moms Demand Action volunteers represent 20% of the House Democratic Majority, and Virginia is proud to be led by Governor Abigail Spanberger, a former Moms Demand Action volunteer. Of the more than 20 gun safety bills heading to Governor Spanberger's desk, five of those bills were led by former Moms Demand Action volunteers: Delegate Joshua Cole, Delegate Amy Laufer, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen, and Delegate Mark Downey.

"For years, the will of the people was silenced by a Governor's pen. Today, thanks to gun sense lawmakers, including our very own Moms Demand Action volunteers, the voices of survivors, parents, and students across the Commonwealth have finally prevailed," said Mike Fox, a volunteer with the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action. "Today, we are proving that here in Virginia, the safety of our families comes before the interests of the gun lobby. We have fought tirelessly for this moment, and we're grateful for the leadership of Speaker Don Scott and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, and look forward to Governor Spanberger signing these historic bills into law."

"For the first time in my life, I am seeing a Virginia where our laws have the potential to finally reflect our values," said Ruby Gerstein, leader of the Alexandria City High School Students Demand Action group. "This is what happens when we elect gun sense champions who are ready to do the hard work of saving lives. This session, our lawmakers in the General Assembly didn't just talk about the problem - they listened to us, they heard our concerns, and they changed laws to prove that our lives are worth more than the gun industry's bottom line."

This landmark session saw the passage of several life-saving measures, including:

• An assault weapons ban (HB217/SB749), sponsored by Delegate Helmer and Senator Salim, which prohibits the sale of dangerous weapons of war and high-capacity magazines.

• A bill to hold the gun industry accountable (HB21/SB27), by establishing standards of conduct for the gun industry and allowing survivors to hold bad actors accountable, sponsored by Delegate Helmer and Senator Carroll Foy.

• A bill (HB1525/SB643) to raise the age to purchase handguns and assault firearms from 18 to 21, sponsored by Delegate McGuire and Senator Surovell.

• A ban on "ghost guns" (HB40/SB323), sponsored by Delegate Simon and Senator Ebbin, which prohibits the manufacture, possession, and sale of untraceable, unserialized firearms or firearm components.

• A bill (HB969/SB364) that lays the groundwork for Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center to serve as the central statewide coordinator for firearm violence prevention efforts, sponsored by Delegate Price and Senator Carroll Foy.

• A secure storage bill (HB871/SB348), sponsored by Delegate Downey and Senator Boysko, which requires firearms to be stored securely in homes where minors or prohibited persons are present.

• A bill (HB93/SB38) to protect domestic violence survivors by establishing a clear process for the removal of firearms from individuals subject to protective orders, sponsored by Senator Bennett-Parker and Senator Favola.

• A bill (HB19/SB160) to close the "Intimate Partner Loophole" by strengthening prohibitions on gun possession for abusers convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes, sponsored by Delegate McClure and Senator Perry.

These legislative victories are a direct reflection of the will of Virginia voters. Recent polling shows a growing consensus in favor of gun violence prevention measures: a majority of Virginia voters want gun laws to be made stronger. While the gun lobby's "guns everywhere" agenda fails to resonate with the public, the General Assembly has acted on the clear mandate from their constituents to prioritize public safety.

In an average year in Virginia, 1,226 people die by guns and 1,624 people are wounded. Gun violence costs Virginia $14.2 billion each year, of which $288.3 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in Virginia is available here.