15101013D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2027
Offered January 14, 2015
Prefiled January 14, 2015
A BILL to amend and reenact §18.2-287.01 of the Code of
Virginia, relating to prohibition on weapons at airports; exception for
handguns.
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Patron-- Wilt
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Committee Referral Pending
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §18.2-287.01 of the Code of Virginia is amended and
reenacted as follows:
§18.2-287.01. Carrying weapon in air carrier airport
terminal.
A. It shall be is unlawful for any person to
possess or transport into any air carrier airport terminal in the Commonwealth
any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or
projectile of any kind,; (ii) frame, receiver,
muffler, silencer, missile, projectile,
or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon,; and (iii) any other dangerous
weapon, including explosives, stun weapons as defined in §18.2-308.1, and
those weapons specified in subsection A of §18.2-308. Any
such weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer.
A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any weapon
possessed or transported in violation of this section
shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and
shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in §
19.2-386.28.
B. The
provisions of this subsection
A shall not apply to any
person who lawfully possesses or
transports a handgun in
any portion of an air carrier airport
terminal other than the secured area, as that term is
defined in 49 C.F.R. §1540.5, of the
airport terminal. The authority,
commission, or other entity that operates any
airport terminal containing a
secured area shall post at
least one notice in a conspicuous location at each entrance to a
secured area that is accessible by the
public that
states (i) "Secured
Area" in at least two-inch type and
(ii) the items restricted from being possessed or
transported in the secured area under the provisions of this section in at
least 24-point type.
C. The
provisions of this section subsection A shall not apply
to any police officer, sheriff, law-enforcement agent or official, or
conservation police officer, or conservator of the peace employed by the air
carrier airport, nor shall the provisions of this section apply to any
passenger of an airline who, to the extent otherwise permitted by law,
transports a lawful firearm, weapon, or ammunition into or out of an air
carrier airport terminal for the sole purposes, respectively, of (i) presenting
such firearm, weapon, or ammunition to U.S. Customs agents in advance of an
international flight, in order to comply with federal law, (ii) checking such
firearm, weapon, or ammunition with his luggage, or (iii) retrieving such
firearm, weapon, or ammunition from the baggage claim area.
D. Any
other statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance specifically addressing the
possession or transportation of weapons in any airport in the Commonwealth
shall be invalid, and this section shall control.
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