SB173 • 2026

Weapons; possession prohibited in hospital that provides mental health or developmental services.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-283.3, relating to weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty.

Firearms Healthcare

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Williams Graves
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: Awaiting Governor's Action
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify whether ignorance of the rule due to lack of signage is an excuse for breaking it.

No Weapons in Hospitals with Mental Health or Developmental Services

This law makes it illegal to bring weapons like guns, certain knives, and other dangerous items into hospitals that provide mental health or developmental services.

What This Bill Does

Makes it against the law for anyone to carry a gun, knife with a blade longer than three and a half inches, or any other dangerous weapon in hospitals providing mental health or developmental services.
Requires hospitals to put up clear signs at every entrance telling people about this rule.
Says that if someone breaks this rule, their weapons will be taken away by the police and given to the government.

Who It Names or Affects

People visiting or working in hospitals with mental health or developmental services.
Hospitals providing mental health or developmental services.

Terms To Know

Developmental Services: Special care and support for people who have disabilities that affect how they learn, communicate, and live their lives.
Location-Restricted Knife: A knife with a blade over three and one-half inches.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact cost of enforcing this law is not known.
This rule does not apply to police officers, correctional officers, or jail officers while they are working.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SB173G

2026-04-11 • Governor

Governor's Recommendation

Plain English: (SB173) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110156D) be accepted.

(SB173) GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION I approve the general purpose of this bill, but I am returning it without my signature with the request that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110156D) be accepted.

SB173S2

2026-04-13 • Governor

Governor Substitute

Plain English: 2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE REPRINT 26110156D SENATE BILL NO.

2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE REPRINT 26110156D SENATE BILL NO.
173 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Governor on April 11, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Williams Graves) A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-283.3 , relating to weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1.
That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 18.2-283.3 as follows: § 18.2-283.3 .

Bill History

2026-04-22 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote
2026-04-22 Senate
Communicated to Governor
2026-04-22 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026
2026-04-22 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-04-13 Senate
Substitute bill reprinted 26110156D
2026-04-11 Governor
Governor's recommendation received by Senate
2026-03-10 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
2026-03-10 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-02-18 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-02-18 Senate
Signed by President
2026-02-18 Senate
Enrolled
2026-02-18 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB173ER)
2026-02-18 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB173)
2026-02-16 House
Read third time
2026-02-16 House
Passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-02-15 House
Read second time
2026-02-13 Public Safety
Reported from Public Safety (13-Y 7-N)
2026-02-12 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-12 House
Read first time
2026-02-12 Public Safety
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
2026-02-09 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-02-06 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-06 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-06 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB173)
2026-02-06 Courts of Justice
Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
2026-02-06 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-05 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-05 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-05 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-05 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-04 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
2026-01-30 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/30/2026 1:45 pm)
2026-01-28 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26106282D-S1
2026-01-28 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB173)
2026-01-26 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N)
2026-01-26 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-22 Education and Health
Stricken at request of Patron in Education and Health Block Vote (14-Y 0-N)
2026-01-12 Senate
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/12/2026 11:30 am)
2026-01-08 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105103D
2026-01-08 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty.
Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and that no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies certain exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 229.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL NO. 173
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the Governor
on April 11, 2026)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Williams Graves)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
18.2-283.3
, relating to weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
18.2-283.3
as follows:
§
18.2-283.3
. Possession of a weapon in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services prohibited; penalty.
A. As used in this section:
"Developmental services" means the same as that term is defined in §
37.2-100
.
"Hospital" means a public or private institution licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (§
32.1-123
et seq.) of Title 32.1 or Article 2 (§
37.2-403
et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2.
"Location-restricted knife" means a knife with a blade over three and one-half inches.
"Mental health services" means the same as that term is defined in §
37.2-100
.
B. It is unlawful for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess a (i) firearm, (ii) location-restricted knife, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons as defined in §
18.2-308.1
, in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care. Any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon 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
. A violation of this subsection is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. The provisions of subsection B shall not apply to (i) a law-enforcement officer as defined in §
9.1-101
or (ii) any person while in the actual discharge of his official duties as a correctional officer or jail officer as defined in §
53.1-1
or a correctional officer employed at a juvenile correction facility as defined in §
66-25.3
.
D. Notice of the provisions of this section shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of an offense under this section if such notice is not posted at each such public entrance, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions of this section.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025 requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.