VA HB 626
enactedFirearm or explosive material; exemptions, carrying in public institutions of higher education.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did VA HB 626 pass?
Yes. VA HB 626 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-04-13): Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0643)
What is VA HB 626 about?
Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution. This bill is identical to SB 272.
Who sponsors VA HB 626?
Katrina Callsen is the primary sponsor of VA HB 626, joined by 10 cosponsors.
Description
Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution. This bill is identical to SB 272.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-13
- Latest action
- 2026-04-13 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0643)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Katrina Callsenprimary
- Marcia S. "Cia" Pricecosponsor
- Marty Martinezcosponsor
- Lily V. Franklincosponsor
- Rae Cousinscosponsor
- Kathy K.L. Trancosponsor
- Amy J. Laufercosponsor
- Mark C. Downeycosponsor
- Nicole Colecosponsor
- Jessica L. Andersoncosponsor
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parkercosponsor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-04-13
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0643)
2026-04-13
Approved by Governor-Chapter 643 (effective 7/1/2026)
executive-signature
2026-03-10
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
executive-receipt
2026-03-10
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
enrolled,executive-receipt
2026-03-06
Signed by President
passage
2026-03-06
Signed by Speaker
passage
2026-03-06
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB626)
2026-03-06
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB626ER)
passage
2026-03-06
Enrolled
enrolled
2026-03-02
Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
passage
2026-02-27
Passed by for the day
2026-02-27
Read third time
reading-3
2026-02-26
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-26
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-26
Rules suspended
2026-02-25
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-23
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 4-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-06
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
referral-committee
2026-02-06
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-05
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB626)
2026-02-05
Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-04
Read second time and engrossed
reading-2
2026-02-03
Read first time
reading-1
2026-01-30
Reported from Public Safety (15-Y 6-N)
committee-passage
2026-01-29
Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
2026-01-27
Assigned HMPPS sub: Firearms
referral-committee
2026-01-13
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
referral-committee
2026-01-13
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/13/2026 3:34 pm)
2026-01-13
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105402D
filing,introduction
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting
2026-01-29 · pass · 7-3
Member-level votes (10)
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Tony O. Wilt: no
- Delores Oates: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
Reported from Public Safety
2026-01-30 · pass · 15-6
Member-level votes (22)
- Marcus B. Simon: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Holly M. Seibold: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Tony O. Wilt: no
- Michael J. Webert: not voting
- Delores Oates: no
- Eric Phillips: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Karen Hamilton: no
H VOTE:
2026-02-05 · pass · 63-35
Member-level votes (100)
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
- Joseph P. McNamara: no
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- James W. Morefield: no
- May Nivar: yes
- Delores Oates: no
- Israel D. O'Quinn: no
- Justin Pence: no
- Eric Phillips: no
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Chris S. Runion: no
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Don Scott: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: no
- Holly M. Seibold: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Irene Shin: yes
- Marcus B. Simon: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- JJ Singh: yes
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
- Anne Ferrell Tata: no
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: no
- Wendell S. Walker: no
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: no
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: no
- Madison Whittle: no
- Bill Wiley: no
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: no
- Tony O. Wilt: no
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: no
- Jason S. Ballard: no
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: no
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Joshua G. Cole: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Will Davis: no
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Mark C. Downey: yes
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: no
- Lily V. Franklin: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: not voting
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
- Jackie H. Glass: yes
- Timothy P. Griffin: no
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Karen Hamilton: no
- C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Charniele L. Herring: yes
- M. Keith Hodges: no
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: no
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: no
- Barry D. Knight: not voting
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
- Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
- Marty Martinez: yes
- John Chilton McAuliff: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
Reported from Courts of Justice
2026-02-23 · pass · 9-4
Member-level votes (15)
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: no
- Ryan T. McDougle: no
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: not voting
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: not voting
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Mark J. Peake: no
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
Reported from Finance and Appropriations
2026-02-25 · pass · 10-5
Member-level votes (15)
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: no
- Mark D. Obenshain: no
- Richard H. Stuart: no
- Bryce E. Reeves: no
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: no
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)
2026-02-26 · pass · 40-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Luther Cifers, III: yes
- Christie New Craig: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Bill DeSteph: yes
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
- Tara A. Durant: yes
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: yes
- T. Travis Hackworth: yes
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- David W. Marsden: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: yes
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: yes
- Mark J. Peake: yes
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: yes
- Bryce E. Reeves: yes
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
- David R. Suetterlein: yes
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
Passage R
2026-03-02 · pass · 21-19
Member-level votes (40)
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- Lamont Bagby: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Luther Cifers, III: no
- Christie New Craig: no
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Bill DeSteph: no
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
- Tara A. Durant: no
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: no
- T. Travis Hackworth: no
- Christopher T. Head: no
- Michael J. Jones: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: no
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- David W. Marsden: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: no
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Tammy Brankley Mulchi: no
- Mark D. Obenshain: no
- Mark J. Peake: no
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: no
- Bryce E. Reeves: no
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
- Richard H. Stuart: no
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
- David R. Suetterlein: no
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z
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