By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—Trump Administration: On Feb. 17, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Justice announced that, after a 30-year-old error, they would protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights; Alaska: Alaska: SB243, removing suppressors from the Alaska controlled weapons list is before the Senate State Affairs Committee; Colorado: Last Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Senate considered SB26-043, which would regulate firearm barrels; Florida: The House Judiciary Committee approved HB1551 with a 13-5 vote on Feb. 17; Georgia: Today Monday, Feb. 23, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee is expected to hear HB1324, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hear the companion measure, SB499; Hawaii: Two Senate Committees considered gun bills this past week. Iowa: Two pro-Second Amendment bills are on the move: SF2263, allowing parking one’s car with a gun in municipal and college parking lots, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, and HF621, allowing law-abiding citizens to conceal carry while in school pick-up zones, passed the House Education Committee; Kansas: SB503 removes suppressors and short-barreled firearms from the state’s controlled weapons list, and was introduced and assigned to the Senate Federal and State Affairs committee. Minnesota: The Minnesota legislature has begun its 2026 legislative session.Missouri: SB1078, allowing concealed carry on public transportation; New Mexico: Feb. 19, SB17, the omnibus gun control bill, was heard in the House Judiciary Committee & SB261, which expands gun-free zones around ballot drop boxes and polling places, was discussed in the House Government Affairs Committee; New York: Feb. 24, the Senate Codes Committee has a hearing for S.362, that would add a 10-day waiting period prior to the purchase of a firearm; Oregon: The House Judiciary Committee held a work session on HB4145; Virginia: Feb. 17th was the legislative crossover deadline; Washington: On Feb. 16, HB2320, the 3D printing ban, passed the House; Wyoming: the House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed HB39, strengthening the state’s statutes on restoring gun rights. HB98 was passed out of committees; it strengthens the prohibition of red flag laws. Additionally, HB94 and HB96, allowing young adults to carry on campus, also advanced through committees.
Trump Administration
On Feb. 17, the Veterans Administration and the Department of Justice announced that, after a 30-year-old error, they would protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights.
In a press release, they announced:
“Effective immediately, VA will not report Veterans to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System as “prohibited persons” solely because they require assistance from a fiduciary in managing their VA benefits.
This corrects a three-decade-old wrong that deprived many thousands of Veterans in VA’s Fiduciary Program of their constitutional right to own a firearm without a legal basis.
They continued …
“In addition to immediately stopping the reporting of VA Fiduciary Program participants to NICS, the department is working with the FBI to remove all past VA reporting from NICS, so no Veterans are unfairly deprived of their Second Amendment rights based solely on participation in VA’s Fiduciary Program.
“Many Americans struggle with managing their finances, and Veterans’ Second Amendment rights shouldn’t be stripped just because they need help in this area. But for too long, Veterans who needed the services of a VA fiduciary were deprived of their right to bear arms,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Under the leadership of President Trump, we’re correcting this injustice and ensuring Veterans get the same due-process and constitutional rights as all Americans.”
The Department of Justice supports this action.
“It is both unlawful and unacceptable for Veterans who serve our country to have their constitutional rights threatened,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “It has been my pleasure to partner with Secretary Collins on this project, and I am directing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to review its regulations and propose changes that will prevent current and future violations of our Veterans’ Second Amendment rights.”
State Legislatures
All state legislatures, except Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas, are in session in 2026.
Alaska: SB243, removing suppressors from the Alaska controlled weapons list, is before the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Colorado: Last Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Senate considered SB26-043, which would regulate firearm barrels.
Florida: The House Judiciary Committee approved HB1551 with a 13-5 vote on February 17. It now moves to the full Florida House for consideration.
Georgia: Today Monday, Feb. 23, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee is scheduled to hear HB1324, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hear the companion measure, SB499.
Hawaii: Two Senate Committees considered gun bills this past week. The Senate Committee on Agriculture and the Environment heard SB2576, which expands the list of prohibited firearms by including individuals who commit non-violent offenses. The Senate Committee on the Environment also reviewed SB2517, which extends Hawaii’s already unconstitutional “red flag” law with due process concerns.
Iowa: Two pro-Second Amendment bills are advancing: SF2263, which allows parking a gun in municipal and college lots, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, and HF621, permitting law-abiding citizens to conceal carry in school pick-up zones, cleared the House Education Committee.
Kansas: SB503 has been assigned to the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. This proposal will remove suppressors and short-barreled firearms from the current Kansas controlled weapons list.
Minnesota: The Minnesota legislature has begun its 2026 legislative session. HF3433, which bans commonly owned gas-operated semiautomatic firearms, and HF3402, which bans any magazine capable of holding over 10 rounds, were introduced and assigned to the Senate Federal and State Affairs committee.
Missouri: SB1078, which permits concealed carry on public transportation, is scheduled for discussion before the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee on Feb. 23.
New Mexico: The New Mexico legislature adjourned sine die at noon on February 19. Neither anti-Second Amendment bill survived.
New York: Tomorrow, Feb. 24, the Senate Codes Committee has a scheduled meeting again targeting gun owners. S.362 would add a 10-day waiting period before the purchase of a firearm, and it does not include any exemptions for gun owners who already legally own and possess firearms.
Oregon: The House Judiciary Committee held a work session on HB4145, the bill implementing Ballot Measure 114, on Feb. 16. HB 4145 would legislatively override the ballot measure with major changes that were NOT approved by voters: With the judicial activity in Eyre v. Rosenblum still unresolved in the 9th Circuit, Oregon gun owners have become scapegoats for failed public policy.
Virginia: Feb. 17 was the legislative crossover deadline; any bill that has not left its chamber of origin by the end of the day is considered dead for the session. Unfortunately, many bills have met that deadline.
The following bills have passed the Senate and are awaiting action in the House of Delegates:
SB272 limits who can carry firearms at public institutions of higher learning.
SB643 establishes a “permit to purchase” scheme in Virginia.
SB496 adds new restrictions on law-abiding citizens to keep a firearm in their vehicle for self-defense.
SB727 prohibits carrying “assault firearms” in public places, including streets, sidewalks, and parks. But it really criminalizes carrying any center-fire semi-automatic firearm anywhere.
SB749 bans certain semi-automatic firearms, including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, and arbitrarily limits magazine capacities.
SB763 levies an 11% excise tax on the sale of all firearms and ammunition and designates all funding from the tax go into a so-called “Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.”
The following bills have passed the House of Delegates and are awaiting action in the Senate:
HB21 creates sweeping new standards of “responsible conduct” for members of the firearm industry. The bill requires these businesses to establish and implement vague and subjective “reasonable controls” over the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of firearm-related products. Additionally, it establishes a broad civil cause of action, allowing the Attorney General, local government attorneys, or private individuals to sue firearm businesses for injunctions, damages, and costs.
HB40 ends the centuries-old practice of individuals building lawful firearms for personal use. Transfer and possession of an unserialized or plastic firearm would be prohibited. It criminalizes those who lawfully purchased unfinished frames and receivers before the bill’s effective date.
HB93 requires subjects of protective orders to transfer their firearms to individuals over the age of 21 who do not reside in the same home as the prohibited person.
HB110 expands restrictions on the ability for a law-abiding individual to keep a firearm in their vehicle for self-defense.
HB217 bans certain semi-automatic firearms, including many semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns, arbitrarily limits magazine capacities, and prohibits possession by legal adults under the age of 21.
HB871 creates a mandatory storage requirement for homes where minors or prohibited persons are present.
HB901 expands the current “red flag” law to add many more persons who can file Emergency Risk Protective Order petitions to a court to suspend a person’s Second Amendment rights and to order the seizure of the person’s guns without any concerns for civil liberties.
HB916 expands the curriculum requirements for Virginia concealed carry permit classes.
HB1071 requires threat assessment teams for public schools to receive additional training on the use of “red flag” emergency substantial risk orders.
HB1524 prohibits carrying “assault firearms,” defined as any center-fire semi-automatic firearms, in public places, including streets, sidewalks, and parks.
HB1525 prohibits the purchase and possession of firearms by legal adults under the age of 21, including anyone who already legally possesses a firearm.
Washington: On Feb. 16, HB2320, the 3D printing ban, passed the House. It establishes a new crime for possessing digital files and/or code related to firearm parts. This raises First, Second, and Fifth Amendment concerns.
West Virginia: Last week, the legislature worked in both Houses to improve West Virginia’s Right-to-Carry law. In the House of Delegates, HB4106 was passed, expanding constitutional carry provisions to 18-20-year-olds. A similar bill, SB30, was voted out of the Senate last week. Both bills are now pending in their respective Judiciary committees.
Wyoming: On Feb. 18, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed HB39, which strengthens the state’s laws on restoring gun rights. During the first week of the legislature, HB98 was approved by committees and enhances restrictions on red flag laws. Additionally, HB94 and HB96, which allow young adults to carry on campus, also moved forward through committees.
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