An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-915.5 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 15.2-915.6, relating to local law-enforcement agencies; firearm give-back or sell-back programs.
HB702 regulates local law-enforcement participation in firearm buyback-style programs, referred to in the bill as firearm give-back or sell-back programs. It bars a locality or its agent from taking part in a program that offers a thing of value in exchange for surrendering a firearm unless the locality’s governing body has first authorized participation by ordinance. The bill also requires local ordinances to direct how surrendered firearms are handled, generally favoring destruction unless the firearm is requested for public auction or sealed-bid sale to a licensed dealer.
The bill adds a new section requiring county and city law-enforcement agencies, and allowing town agencies, to adopt policies and procedures for such programs by January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter. Those policies must set locations and times for surrender, require forensic testing, preserve firearms as evidence when tied to a crime, return lost or stolen firearms to the original owner, destroy non-evidentiary firearms within 90 days, and exempt antique or historically significant firearms from mandatory destruction by allowing donation or transfer for sale. The bill also requires confidentiality for the person surrendering the firearm and annual reporting to the Department of State Police on the number of firearms received, with any sale proceeds going to the locality’s general fund or program administration.
HB702 amends § 15.2-915.5 and adds § 15.2-915.6 to the Code of Virginia, creating a statewide framework for local firearm buyback, give-back, and sell-back programs. It limits local discretion by requiring formal ordinance authorization before participation in incentive-based firearm surrender programs and by prescribing how surrendered firearms must be processed, stored, sold, destroyed, or preserved. The bill affects localities, local police departments, firearm owners, museums, historical societies, educational institutions, and federally licensed firearms dealers, while also creating reporting obligations to the State Police.
Based on the bill’s enactment and the absence of recorded committee or floor discussion in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to have been sufficiently favorable for passage. The enacted chapter status suggests the measure had enough support to become law, and the text reflects a structured compromise between firearm disposal and preservation interests. The bill’s inclusion of historical-firearm exceptions and local-option authorization indicates an effort to balance public-safety goals with property, heritage, and administrative concerns.
The main points of contention likely center on whether local governments should be allowed to run firearm buyback programs without prior ordinance approval, and whether surrendered firearms should be destroyed or instead sold, preserved, or transferred. Gun-safety advocates may favor destruction and strict controls, while gun-rights supporters may object to government buyback programs or the handling of surrendered firearms. Additional tension may arise over the historical-firearm exception, confidentiality requirements, and the administrative burden of forensic testing, reporting, and auction procedures.