SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2020 SPECIAL SESSION I

  • | print version

HB 5049 Law-enforcement agencies; acquisition and use of military property.

Introduced by: Dan I. Helmer | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Acquisition and use of military property by law-enforcement agencies. Provides that no state or local law-enforcement agency shall acquire or purchase (i) weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles; (ii) aircraft that are configured for combat or are combat-coded and have no established commercial flight application; (iii) grenades or similar explosives or grenade launchers from a surplus program operated by the federal government; (iv) armored multi-wheeled vehicles that are mine-resistant, ambush-protected, and configured for combat from a surplus program operated by the federal government; (v) bayonets; (vi) firearms of .50 caliber or higher; (vii) ammunition of .50 caliber or higher; or (viii) weaponized tracked armored vehicles. These provisions do not apply to the Virginia National Guard or Virginia Defense Force. The bill prohibits the use of such military property by a law-enforcement officer unless a waiver has been granted by the Criminal Justice Services Board. The bill prohibits the use of kinetic impact munitions unless their use is necessary to protect a law-enforcement officer or another person from bodily injury. "Kinetic impact munitions" includes impact rounds and baton rounds, such as rubber batons, bean bag rounds, foam baton rounds, and plastic, wax, wood, or rubber-coated projectiles. The bill directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) to establish training standards for law enforcement on the use of kinetic impact munitions and tear gas. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.


FULL TEXT

AMENDMENTS

HISTORY