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We have received many phone calls from customers and been asked many times about the upcoming changes that are being proposed in the general assembly in regard to firearms, firearm training, and now whether Indoor Ranges in Virginia will be closed. While we have been keeping a close eye on many of these proposals one of the bigger issues we see is some of the misinformation about the timeline for any of these proposed bills to become laws. In Virginia the House of Delegates and the Senate make up the General Assembly, currently both houses of the General Assembly are controlled by a democratic majority, as well as the Lt Governor and Governors offices. With that being said here is a step by step process of how proposed bills become laws in Virginia:

1. A Delegate prepares proposed legislation at the request of their constituents
2. The same Delegate must explain in full their proposal to a staff attorney in the Division of Legislative Services, this attorney checks the current laws and constitutionality of any proposals brought forward by the Delegate
3. The bill is then drafted by the Division of Legislative Services and delivered to the Delegate
4. Once the Delegate receives this draft of the bill they must sign their name to it and once it is signed it must be delivered to the Clerk of the House of Delegates in order to be “introduced.” Delegates have until 10am on the 1^st day of the General Session to pre-file any proposed legislation. 
5. The bill is ordered to be printed and is referred by the Speak of the House to the appropriate Standing Committee (Judiciary, Finance, Appropriations. The House has 14 committees and the Senate has 11)
6. Members of the committee then study the proposals and once they “approve” the proposal it is reported, without amendments, to the House of Delegates (Bills often “die” in committee for various reasons)
7. First Reading: the bill title is printed in the Calendar (the daily agenda of business) or is red by the Clerk of the House of Delegates
8. Second Reading: the next day the bill appears in the House Calendar. Bills are considered only by the order in which they appear in the Calendar. Again, the Clerk of the House will read the title of the bill
9. A bill which has made it to the second reading is amendable. At this point the bill is open to be explained by the Delegate who created the bill, they must answer any question which is asked of them at this point. After the Delegate has explained their bill a voice vote is called, and it passes to its third reading. If any amendments are adopted on the bill it is reprinted with any amendments and sent for a third reading
10. Third Reading: the next day, the engrossed bill title appears in the House of Delegates Calendar on third reading. This is when the Clerk of the House calls for a recorded vote by the House, if the bill passes it is sent to the Senate. Bills passed in the House of Delegates are sent by either the Clerk of the House or by a Delegate in person to inform the Senate of its passage and to ask for the concurrence of the Senate
11. Once received by the Senate the bill will start its life at step 5 as it is sent to one of the 11 Senate Standing Committees after it is read for the first time in the Senate
12. If the Senate disagrees with any of the portions of the bill a Committee of Conference is created to resolve any differences. Once any differences are cleared the bill will be read a second and third time in the Senate as it was in the House before it is voted on. Senate Bills require passage by a constitutional majority (51% of voting members)
13. Once the bill is approved by both the House and the Senate it is sent to the Governor where they may take one of four approaches. 1) sign the bill into law; 2) amend the bill and return it to the General Assembly for approval; 3) veto the bill and return it to the General Assembly, where the House and the Senate can overturn a veto by a 2/3 majority of both houses; 4) take no action and the bill becomes a law without the Governor’s signature.
14. After being signed by the Governor, the bill is sent to the Clerk of the House of Delegates and is assigned a chapter number. All Chapters of a Session are complied and bound as Acts of Assembly.
15. Bills enacted during a Regular Session (or the Reconvened Session which follows) are effective the 1^st day of July following adjournment of the Regular Session, unless another date is specified

As you can see there are many steps to go before any proposed law changes take effect, if they even pass out of committee. While we encourage you to continue to support the second amendment and to let your dollars do the talking, we also want you to be informed that no laws will be going in to effect on the first of January, or even on the first day of the Legislative session on January the 8^th. There is a long and occasionally painful process for any proposal to become a law, that is how our founders designed our system of Government to be.

While we cannot look in to the hearts and minds of our states elected representatives we can continue to contact our Delegates and Senators and politely and professionally voice our positions in hopes that we can convince them not to infringe on the rights guaranteed to each and every Virginian by our State and Federal Constitutions."