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Subcommittee passes HB702 to 'pass by' after hearing support, asks for technical fixes
Summary
HB702 would require local law enforcement policies for firearm giveback or buyback programs, confidentiality for surrenderers, forensic testing, and annual reporting; the subcommittee passed the bill by for drafting of amendments after supporters and opponents debated definitions and disposal options.
The subcommittee heard hours of testimony on HB702, a bill to create a consistent statewide framework for local firearm giveback or buyback programs modeled on Fredericksburg’s effort.
Delegate Cole, the bill sponsor, explained the substitute requires local law enforcement agencies to adopt policies by Jan. 1, 2028, designating when and where people may voluntarily return firearms, subjecting surrendered firearms to forensic testing, keeping surrenderers’ identities confidential, retaining firearms as evidence if linked to crimes, and destroying firearms not implicated in crimes. "The bill requires each local law enforcement agency to develop policies and procedures to implement either a firearm giveback program or a firearm buyback program by 01/01/2028," Cole said.
Chuck Fry Jr., vice mayor of Fredericksburg, described his city’s program: "In our first gun give back, we collected 64 guns in 4 hours ... Year to date since 2014 we are now at 242 guns in the city of Fredericksburg." Advocates including Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Brady and the Virginia Center for Public Safety testified that the bill would expand proven local practices.
Opponents, including the Virginia Citizens Defense League and NRA witnesses, raised concerns about destroying firearms with historic or monetary value and suggested auctioning high-value guns to federally licensed dealers to ensure legal transfers and background checks. Witnesses also suggested serial-number checks to return stolen weapons to rightful owners and questioned how buyback programs would interact with wills and probate.
Committee members highlighted technical gaps — no definition of "destroyed," unclear periodicity for programs, and procedures for stolen serial-number checks — and moved to "pass by" the bill to allow sponsors and staff to draft amendments. The motion carried by voice vote; the committee asked for clarifying language on periodicity, disposal, and stolen-firearm procedures before returning the bill.
Next steps: The bill was passed by for the desk so sponsors can present amended language addressing definitions and implementation details.
