From the Virginia Shooting Sports Association

Virginia General Assembly Begins Wednesday

The 2026 Session of the General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, January 14, and the gun ban lobby has a trifecta in state government to do their bidding this year.  We have already seen a bill dropped that will ban the most commonly owned firearms, impose a $500 tax on suppressors, and a bill that creates a code of “responsible conduct” for members of the firearm industry, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The bills require these businesses to establish and implement vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products. This is only the beginning.  We expect between now and January 23rd, the last day to introduce legislation, that we will see at least 30 gun control bills.  Not introduced as of today, but expected, is a bill that will create a permitting scheme that will be required before you can purchase a firearm.  This scheme will include the requirement to be fingerprinted as well as complete costly training that will likely require a live fire component before you can purchase a firearm, even if you have owned firearms for years.

VSSA, along with the NRA, is encouraging all gun owners to attend this year’s VCDL Lobbying Day at the Virginia General Assembly on January 19th, 2026 in Richmond.  NRA-ILA Executive Director, John Commerford, will be speaking at the event.  Please show your support for the Second Amendment and for your rights as a Virginia gun owner. This is your right – no, a DUTY – as a citizen of the United States AND as a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia who believes in the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms.  Here’s what you need to do:

1. If you can, ATTEND Lobby Day on Monday, January 19th. It’s a Federal holiday, so you may not have to work that day. Also, street parking in downtown Richmond is free on public holidays. The Virginia Citizens Defense League’s (VCDL’s) Lobby Day website athttps://www.vcdl.org/LobbyDay has all the information you will need to make a visit to Richmond. A detailed schedule of events can be foundhere.
2. Physical presence is SO important in persuading legislators to see your point-of-view, or at least understand what they’re getting themselves into.
3. If you don’t want to drive to Richmond, you may be able to sign up to ride buses chartered by VCDL to take you there, depending on where you live. VCDL’s Lobby Day bus site at https://www.vcdl.org/LobbyDayBus has all the information on getting a seat on the bus. (DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 14th)
4. At the very least, as a citizen and a resident of this Commonwealth, you owe it to yourself to stay informed on the pending legislation affecting our 2A rights AND to contact your legislators in Richmond on how you feel regarding those bills. The 2026 VSSA Legislative Tracking Tool (https://www.myvssa.org/legislation) is up and running – here you can find the status of pending 2A-related bills during this year’s session.
5. If you’re not sure who your legislators are, use the “Who’s My Legislator?” tool (https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/) to find out. (You will have a Delegate (House) and a Senator representing you in their respective bodies.)

In 2020, tens of thousands of gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment arrived on a chilly Monday morning in January 2020 to show the Governor and the General Assembly that the rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article 1, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia were important to them. Despite several onerous bills being passed into law, the so-called “assault weapon ban” died in Senate committee that year, thanks in no small part to the work of the tens of thousands who showed up on Lobby Day to make their voices heard.

Today we find ourselves in an even worse situation – as mentioned above, many gun-control bills have been proposed that would further restrict the hard-fought and -won rights of Virginians, for example:

• A ban on so-called “assault rifles” and magazines holding more than 10 rounds;
• A special tax of $500 on the sale of suppressors (even though the Federal transfer tax has been eliminated);
• Revoking the recognition of out-of-state concealed handgun licenses from many States (which will inevitably result in Virginia handgun licenses not being recognized in those States);
• Restrictions on your ability to keep a firearm in your vehicle for self-defense.

In addition, the Virginia State Crime Commission recently reported their findings on the feasibility of implementing a “permit-to-purchase” system for Virginians who want to purchase a firearm (similar to laws in States such as Illinois and New Jersey) – a bill is expected to be introduced soon in the General Assembly to impose such a program on Virginians.

Finally, while Gov. Youngkin vetoed many bills restricting your Second Amendment rights, he is leaving office on Saturday, January 17th. The incoming Governor got her start as an advocate for gun control with Moms Demand Action and has promised to sign any gun-control legislation presented to her.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! Don’t expect the courts to stop these bills – it has been over three (3) years since the Supreme Court issued the Bruen decision. Since then, many cases seeking relief as a result of that decision have made their way through the judicial system, with no resolution in sight.

VSSA’s lobbying team is ready to advocate for your rights at the General Assembly. But we need you to let your voice be heard too.  Be sure to check the VSSA blog, the VSSA website, and if you have an X (formerly known as Twitter) account, be sure to follow @VSSA for updates.