RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner introduced new anti-gun violence legislation on Tuesday, 17 years after the deadly mass shooting on Virginia Tech's campus.
Kaine and Warner's legislation, the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act of 2024, would make Virginia's "commonsense framework" on gun safety a federal measure. The plan calls for several different measures.
“17 years ago, 32 people tragically lost their lives at Virginia Tech," Kaine wrote in a news release. "I was Virginia’s governor at the time, and I remember that day like it was yesterday—grieving with families, friends, and the Hokie community. Sadly, far too many communities throughout the United States know the pain of horrific gun violence."
“I’m proud of the steps the Commonwealth has taken in recent years to help keep Virginians safe, which is why I’m introducing this bill to build on our progress by implementing those commonsense measures on the national level. We must do more to ensure everyone can go to school, work, their place of worship, a grocery store, or concert without the terror of gun violence.”
What would the new federal gun legislation change?
According to a news release from Kaine's office, the legislation would:
- Nationally limit purchases of handguns to one per month.
- Require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to state or local law enforcement within 48 hours.
- Hold people liable for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun near a minor.
- Close the "boyfriend loophole," which Kaine says allows abusive non-spousal partners to possess firearms.
- Establish a process to temporarily remove firearms from people who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others.
- Establishes criminal liability for a caregiver who gives a child access to a firearm when they are aware a child poses a risk to themselves or others.
You can read the proposed bill's full text on Kaine's site.
Are these gun law changes already in place in Virginia?
All but one of the laws were introduced and passed in the General Assembly and are already in place.
Lucia's Law, which establishes liability for a caregiver who gives a child access to a firearm when they're aware the child poses a risk to themselves or others, was signed by Youngkin in March and will go into effect July 1 of this year.