By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—Connecticut: Governor Ned Lamont has put the full weight of his office behind HB5043; Florida: HB1551, to provide protections at the state level to complement the PLCAA; Hawaii: On Feb. 2, a hearing was held in the Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee; Indiana: SB 176, a bill. to prevent shooting ranges from being closed; Maryland: Hearings are scheduled in three Committees this week; Missouri: The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on Monday on SB1128; Nebraska: A hearing was held on Feb. 2, on LB1237; New Hampshire: On Feb. 5, the House passed HB1793; New Mexico: The Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee held a hearing on SB17, an omnibus gun-control bill,on Jan. 28; Oregon: The legislature convened on Feb. 2, and immediately, the House Committee on the Judiciary had a hearing for HB4145; Pennsylvania: HB 1909 passed the House 104-94. South Dakota: SB2,removing silencers from the state’s controlled weapons listing has passed both the House and Senate; Virginia: The Democrat controlled legislature is on a mission to erase the Second Amendment in the Commonwealth; Washington: The Senate is in a hurry to pass HB2320
Federal Legislation
H.R. 7166 – Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act. has been introduced by two Democrat legislatures. The bill’s name says it all.
State Legislatures
All state legislatures, except Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas, are in session in 2026.
Connecticut: Governor Ned Lamont has put the full weight of his office behind HB5043, which bans “convertible” pistols. Although converting any firearm to a fully automatic one is already illegal, this bill is redefining many firearms to make pistols that are currently legal into newly illegal guns. It is currently assigned to the Judiciary Committee.
Florida: This year, companion bills SB1748 and HB1551 were introduced. These bills aim to provide protections at the state level to complement the federal Protecting Law Enforcement and Armed Firearms Act (PLCAA). The bill is currently before the Florida House Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii: On Feb. 2, a hearing was held in the Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee. The three anti-Second Amendment bills were discussed: SB2720, which would create a “no-fault” firearm injury restitution fund, was deferred; SB2503, which allocates funds for a gun buyback program, was approved 4-0; and SB2571, proposing automatic felony penalties for “Gun Violence Protection Orders,” was approved 3-1.
On Jan. 23, three days after SCOTUS held a hearing on Wolford, SB3041, a bill to counter any decision to nullify a pro-Second Amendment decision in Wolford.
Indiana: SB 176, a bill that prevents counties, cities, and towns from using planning and zoning powers to effectively restrict or prohibit the establishment, use, or maintenance of shooting ranges through excessive or discriminatory regulations, will soon be before the House Local Government Committee. Please call members of this committee and urge them to vote yes.
Maryland: Hearings are scheduled in three Committees this week. On Feb. 3, the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee will hear SB181, which eliminates lead ammunition for all hunting. On Feb. 4, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on HB126, which exempts law enforcement from the seven-day waiting period required for everyone else; and on Feb. 5, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will consider SB334, a ban on what the bill’s creator calls “machine gun convertible pistols.” A term that can be construed in multiple ways and would punish lawful gun owners.
Missouri: The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on Monday regarding SB1128, which prohibits payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components. As of late 2025, 20 states have enacted laws similar to what SB1128 proposes. California, Colorado, and New York have already passed laws to establish merchant category codes for firearms.
Nebraska: A hearing will be held on Feb. 2, regarding LB1237, to ban weapons or prohibited substances from entering the State Capitol.
New Hampshire: On Feb. 5, the House passed HB1793, guaranteeing college students’ rights to protect themselves on campuses with both firearms and other defensive weapons, including pepper spray, mace, and stun guns.
New Mexico: The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB17 on Feb. 4. It could be brought before the full Senate at any time. The bill is an omnibus gun-control measure that would ban a wide range of commonly owned semi-automatic firearms, .50 caliber rifles, and magazines holding more than ten rounds, which are labeled as “extremely dangerous weapons.” It is also described as burdening firearm dealers with costly security and administrative requirements, including strict trace-response timelines and centralized recordkeeping of buyers and serial numbers, with potential felony penalties for technical violations. It may be brought up at any time.
Oregon: The legislature convenes on Feb. 2, and the House Committee on the Judiciary held an immediate hearing scheduled on HB4145. This bill would implement Ballot Measure 114 and include several items that voters did not approve. Additionally, the ballot measure is still in court, as Eyre v. Rosenblum is currently in the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The additional items added that are not in Ballot Measure 114
- Increases the time that state bureaucrats can take to issue pistol purchase permits from 30 to 50 days.
- Increases the cost from $65 to %150.
- On and off-duty police are exempt from the purchase permit.
- Postpones the permit requirement date to January 2028.
No votes were taken at that hearing.
Pennsylvania: HB 1909 passed the House 104-94. While seemingly well-intentioned, it concerns protection from abuse orders (PFAs) and violations of those orders. However, this legislation raises a wide range of non-violent infractions and misdemeanors to a level that results in lifetime firearm bans. Current law already covers violations of protective orders, but this bill increases the offense to a higher misdemeanor, leading to a lifetime ban on firearms. The surrender of Second Amendment rights has always been the bill’s intended goal, and this effort seems driven more by election-year politics than public safety.
South Dakota: SB2, which removes silencers from the state’s controlled weapons list, has passed both the Senate and the House without dissent. On Feb. 2, HB1114, a bill establishing a new state classification for “certain mental health information be submitted to and subsequently removed from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System,” is the subject of a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee.
Virginia: On Feb. 5, the Virginia House of Delegates quickly advanced six gun control bills by adding them to the floor agenda without public notice and swiftly passing them, sending them to the Senate with fewer than ten working days before legislative crossover. These extreme measures include HB217, which bans a wide range of semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, limits magazine capacity, and prohibits possession by adults under 21; The Attorney General, local prosecutors, and private plaintiffs are given extraordinary powers to determine the standards, with HB21 stating these standards are to be “a new responsible conduct standard and reasonable control on the firearm industry.” This bill could create broad civil liability exposure for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers; HB40 bans manufacturing unserialized firearms, outlaws transfer and possession of so-called “ghost guns,” and penalizes owners of unfinished frames and receivers acquired before the effective date; HB110 further restricts the ability of law-abiding individuals to keep firearms in vehicles for self-defense; HB229 prohibits weapons in hospitals providing mental health or developmental services; and HB871 mandates firearm storage when minors or prohibited persons are present in the home.
On Feb 6, 2026, the Senate passed SB763 , which would impose an 11% excise tax on all firearms and ammunition sold by licensed dealers, manufacturers, and ammunition vendors in Virginia, dedicating the proceeds to the “Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.”
Additionally, SB 749 is available for a Senate vote at any time. It would prohibit a broad class of semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns, cap magazine capacity without a grandfather clause, and thereby criminalize continued possession of magazines above the new limit.
Washington: Last week we mentioned HB2320. Now the Senate has moved it from consideration in the Appropriations Committee to Rules 2, where it can be brought for a vote on the House floor at any time.
