Now that the Virginia General Assembly has passed what it calls “assault weapon ban” legislation, all that’s needed is for Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign it into law, which is all but a given. Once signed, Senate Bill 749 will likely take effect as soon as July 1, 2026.
The law will ban the sale, import, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of what it describes as “assault firearms,” and it will treat high-capacity magazines that can hold 15 rounds or more in the same way. It will make any violations of the law a “Class 1 misdemeanor,” which could mean up to a year in jail and a $2,500 for a first offense.
While SB 749 does not explicitly ban AR-15 rifles, since the popular long rifle falls under the bill’s definition of assault weapons, it will be effectively banned.
A Bangladeshi immigrant who has served in the Virginia Senate since 2024 is the sponsor of the massively aggressive gun control legislation. Saddam Azlan Salim came to America when he was 10 years old, settling with his family in Fairfax County.