Warner, Kaine introduce 'Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act'

The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act would mandate the reporting of lost and stolen firearms, prevent children from accessing guns and implement a one-handgun-a-month policy. The latter would be designed to curtail the stockpiling and trafficking of firearms, according to Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. The act also would require gun owners to report any lost or stolen firearms to a local law enforcement agency within 48 hours.

"Too many Americans, families, and communities have been touched by gun violence," Warner said. "This bill can save lives and make our country safer."

The Virginia Plan additionally would mirror "Lucia's Law," recently passed by the Virginia General Assembly, which makes it a crime for a caregiver to provide a child with access to a gun if that child is deemed to be a danger to himself or herself or others. The law is named for Henrico teen Lucia Bremer, who was shot and killed by another teen in Henrico's West End in March 2021.

"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," said Kaine.

The proposed federal law also would close the “boyfriend loophole,” which currently allows abusive non-spousal partners to possess firearms, and it would expand firearm laws to prohibit those convicted of stalking or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a gun.

In addition, the plan would establish a federal extreme risk protection order process to temporarily remove guns from people who are deemed to pose a high risk of harming themselves or others.