20107458D
<br><center><b>SENATE BILL NO. 581</b></center>

<center>AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE</center>

<center>(Proposed by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary</center>

<center>on February 3, 2020)</center>

<center>(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Howell)</center>

<i>A BILL to amend and reenact &sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-56.2">18.2-56.2</a> of the Code of Virginia,
relating to allowing access to firearms by minors; penalty.</i>

<p>Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:</p>

<p>1. That &sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-56.2">18.2-56.2</a> of the Code of Virginia is amended and
reenacted as follows:</p>

<p>&sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-56.2">18.2-56.2</a>. Allowing access to firearms by minors; penalty.</p>

<p>A. It<s class=str> shall be</s><i class=new> is</i> unlawful for any person to
recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger
the life or limb of any<s class=str> child</s><i class=new> person</i> under the age of<s class=str> fourteen</s><i class=new>
18</i>. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection<s class=str> shall be</s><i class=new>
is</i> guilty of a Class<s class=str> 3</s><i class=new> 1</i> misdemeanor.</p>

<p><i class=new>This subsection shall not apply to conduct in the course of
hunting and trapping, as defined in &sect;<a href="http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/29.1-100">29.1-100</a>, by lawful means and in a lawful
manner.</i></p>

<p>B. It<s class=str> shall be</s><i class=new> is</i> unlawful for any person
knowingly to authorize a child under the age of<s class=str> twelve</s><i class=new> 12</i> to use
a firearm except when the child is under the supervision of an adult. Any
person violating this subsection<s class=str> shall be</s><i class=new> is</i> guilty of a Class 1
misdemeanor. For purposes of this subsection, &quot;adult&quot;<s class=str> shall mean</s><i class=new>
means</i> a parent, guardian, person standing in loco parentis to the child<i class=new>,</i>
or<s class=str> a</s> person<s class=str> twenty-one</s><i class=new> 21</i> years<i class=new> of age</i> or<s class=str> over</s><i class=new>
older</i> who has the permission of the parent, guardian, or person standing in
loco parentis to supervise the child in the use of a firearm.</p>