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HB696 • 2026

Firearm/explosive material; carrying into a bldg. owned or leased by the Commonwealth, exceptions.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-283.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to carrying a firearm or explosive material into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exception for highway rest areas and government stores.

Firearms
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Zehr
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not mention the requirement for clear signs at entrances to affected buildings.

Carrying Firearms or Explosives into Commonwealth-Owned Buildings

This law changes rules about carrying firearms and explosives in buildings owned or leased by Virginia's government, except for highway rest areas and government stores.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rule that says you can't bring a gun or explosive material into any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • Adds an exception to allow guns and explosives at highway rest areas and government stores.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who carry firearms or explosives
  • Government agencies that own or lease buildings

Terms To Know

Commonwealth-owned building
A building owned by the state of Virginia.
Highway rest area
An area along a highway where drivers can stop to rest, eat, or use facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks the rules at places like courthouses or state parks.
  • It's unclear how this will be enforced in different parts of Virginia.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee Public Safety

  2. 2026-02-02 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB696)

  3. 2026-01-22 Firearms

    Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (6-Y 3-N)

  4. 2026-01-20 Firearms

    Assigned HMPPS sub: Firearms

  5. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103607D

  6. 2026-01-13 Public Safety

    Referred to Committee on Public Safety

Official Summary Text

Carrying a firearm or explosive material into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exceptions for highway rest areas and government stores.
Provides that the prohibition on carrying a firearm or explosive material in any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth shall not apply to any highway rest area or government store, as those terms are defined in relevant law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
18.2-283.2
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
18.2-283.2
. Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square and the surrounding area, into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth, etc.; penalty.
A. For the purposes of this section, "Capitol Square and the surrounding area" means the grounds, land, real property, and improvements in the City of Richmond bounded by Bank, Governor, Broad, and Ninth Streets, and the sidewalks of Bank Street extending from 50 feet west of the Pocahontas Building entrance to 50 feet east of the entrance of the Capitol of Virginia.
B. It is unlawful for any person to carry any firearm as defined in §
18.2-308.2:2
or explosive material as defined in §
18.2-308.2
within (i) the Capitol of Virginia; (ii) Capitol Square and the surrounding area; (iii) any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof; or (iv) any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties.
C. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any firearm or explosive material carried in violation of this section shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in §
19.2-386.28
.
D. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following while acting in the conduct of such person's official duties: (i) any law-enforcement officer as defined in §
9.1-101
; (ii) any authorized security personnel; (iii) any active military personnel; (iv) any fire marshal appointed pursuant to §
27-30
when such fire marshal has police powers provided by §
27-34.2:1
; or (v) any member of a cadet corps who is recognized by a public institution of higher education while such member is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.
E. The provisions of clause (ii) of subsection B shall not apply to (i) any State Police officer who is off-duty or (ii) any retired State Police officer who has participated in annual firearms training and has qualified to the standards required of active law-enforcement officers in the Commonwealth, in accordance with subsection C of §
18.2-308.016
.
The provisions of clauses (iii) and (iv) of subsection B shall not apply to (a) any State Police officer who is off-duty; (b) any retired State Police officer who has participated in annual firearms training and has qualified to the standards required of active law-enforcement officers in the Commonwealth, in accordance with subsection C of §
18.2-308.016
; (c) any retired law-enforcement officer who has participated in annual firearms training, has qualified pursuant to subsection C of §
18.2-308.016
, and is visiting a gun range owned or leased by the Commonwealth; (d) any of the following employees authorized to carry a firearm while acting in the conduct of such employee's official duties: (1) a bail bondsman as defined in §
9.1-185
, (2) an employee of the Department of Corrections or a state juvenile correctional facility, (3) an employee of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or (4) an employee of the Department of Wildlife Resources; (e) any individual carrying a weapon into a courthouse who is exempt under §
18.2-283.1
; (f) any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education; (g) any state park;
or
(h) any magistrate acting in the conduct of the magistrate's official duties
; (i) any highway rest area as defined in §
33.2-1200
; or (j) any government store as defined in §
4.1-100
.
F. Notice of the provisions of this section shall be posted conspicuously along the boundary of Capitol Square and the surrounding area and at the public entrance of each location listed in subsection B, and no person shall be convicted of an offense under subsection B if such notice is not posted at such public entrance, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions in subsection B.