What Exactly Is SB749?

Let's break down what the legislature actually passed and what the Governor sent back with amendments.

SB749 is sponsored by State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax) and carried in the House by Delegate Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax). It passed the Senate 21 to 19 along party lines, and the House approved it 60 to 35. The bill targets what it calls "assault firearms," which is a broad category that includes most AR-15s, AR-10s, and other semi-automatic centerfire rifles and pistols.

Here's what the bill does: Starting July 1, 2026, it becomes a Class 1 misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, or transfer any of these designated assault firearms. The same applies to magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. It also prohibits possession by anyone under 21 years old.

The grandfathering clause gives legal cover to people who owned firearms before July 1. You can keep what you have. But here's the catch: you can't bring banned firearms into Virginia from out of state, and your ability to sell or transfer them is severely restricted. You're basically stuck with them.

For the 80 lower community, this is where it gets serious. While 80 percent lower receivers aren't technically classified as firearms under federal law, they exist in an ecosystem built on components and knowledge. When Virginia bans the sale of completed semi-automatic rifles and closes the door on purchasing them, it signals where the law is heading. The trend is clear: today it's completed firearms. Tomorrow it could be the components you need to build them.

Spanberger's Amendments Made This Worse

Here's where it gets even more urgent.

On April 10, the Department of Justice sent a letter warning Governor Spanberger that the federal government would sue Virginia if SB749 was signed as written. That letter came from Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General heading up the DOJ Civil Rights Division. The DOJ explicitly stated that this bill unconstitutionally restricts Americans' right to bear arms and would force Virginia law enforcement to participate in that unconstitutional restriction.

The Governor received the message. But instead of vetoing the bill, she sent it back to the General Assembly on April 13 with amendments. She framed these changes as "additional clarity" and new "protections for hunting shotguns." Sounds reasonable, right?

Wrong. According to House Republican Del. Wren Williams, the amendments actually expanded the assault firearms definition and made the magazine restrictions more severe than the original bill. This isn't a compromise or a retreat. It's the Governor doubling down.

And now the General Assembly gets to vote on these amendments when it reconvenes on April 22. If they accept them, the bill becomes law. If they modify them, the negotiation starts over. If they reject them, the original version comes back into play.

This is the critical moment. This is the last real chance to stop this bill before it becomes reality.

The DOJ Is On Our Side (But Courts Take Years)

The Department of Justice's letter is significant and worth understanding, but it's not a reason to sit back and wait for the courts to fix this.

Under this administration, the DOJ has treated the Second Amendment like an actual civil right instead of something to be casually restricted. The Civil Rights Division has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff over concealed carry permit delays. It sued the District of Columbia over its ban on registering AR-15s. It's even sued the Virgin Islands Police Department over licensing practices that effectively nullified the right to bear arms.

The Harmeet Dhillon letter warning Virginia is consistent with this approach. It's a clear signal that the DOJ believes SB749 violates the Constitution, specifically the Second Amendment protections established in the Bruen decision.

But here's what you need to understand: lawsuits take years. Discovery takes time. Appeals take time. Even if the DOJ wins in court eventually, Virginia will have lived under this ban for years while the case winds through the system. And during that time, you won't be able to buy an 80 lower in Virginia.

The April 22 vote happens in days. You cannot rely on the courts to save your rights in time. You need to pick up the phone and contact your representatives right now.

What This Means for Your 80 Lower

Let's talk about what an 80 lower actually is and why this matters specifically to the 80 percent arms community.

An 80 percent lower (or 80 lower) is a lower receiver that's milled to 80 percent completion. Because it's not fully finished, the ATF doesn't classify it as a firearm. That's the whole point. You buy the 80 lower, you buy or source the remaining parts, and you finish the receiver yourself. At that point, you have a functioning firearm that you built yourself, without any background check or registration.

The legal status of 80 lowers took a hit in 2025 when the Supreme Court upheld the Biden-era ATF frame and receiver rule. The Court said that "weapons parts kits are firearms," which sounds bad. But here's the nuance that matters: the Court's ruling primarily applies to 80 percent pistol frames bundled in kits with jigs and instructions. Unfinished AR lowers sold individually, without jigs and without kits, are still legal under the ruling.

That's why 80 Percent Arms can no longer sell jigs directly. The ATF rule forced us to stop. But we still manufacture the highest quality 80 percent lower receivers in the country, machined from 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum right here in the USA. You can buy those lowers independently, and you can source jigs through other dealers who aren't bound by the same restrictions.

Now comes SB749 and the Virginia state-level attack on these components.

The bill targets completed semi-automatic firearms. It doesn't explicitly ban 80 lowers, because they aren't classified as firearms. But the ecosystem around 80 lowers exists because you can buy them and then buy or build the rest of the parts you need. When Virginia bans the sale of completed semi-auto rifles and ammo restrictions follow, the entire ecosystem shrinks. Gun owners get nervous. Retailers get careful. The market dries up.

We've seen this pattern before. Every ban chips away at the foundation. Every restriction tightens the noose a little more. Today it's assembled firearms. Tomorrow it could be the components. The year after that, it could be the 80 lower itself.

If you've been thinking about building an 80 lower but haven't pulled the trigger yet, the clock is running down. The window between now and July 1 is your opportunity to get those receivers and start sourcing parts while the market is still open. After July 1, if SB749 becomes law, Virginia becomes a hostile state for anyone building or carrying semi-automatic firearms. The domino effect hits hard.

Browse our full lineup of 80 percent lower receivers. AR-15, AR-10, AR-45, all machined to perfection. All made here in the USA. Get yours before the legal landscape shifts.

Contact Your Representatives Right Now: Stop SB749

This is the most important section of this post. The April 22 vote is what matters. Everything else is context.

How to Make Your Call Count

When you call your representative, be polite but firm. State your name and confirm you're a Virginia constituent. Say this: "I'm calling to urge [Representative Name] to reject the governor's amendments to SB749 when the General Assembly reconvenes on April 22. The Department of Justice has already warned that this bill is unconstitutional. I'm asking for their commitment to vote no."

Then ask what their position is and request a callback if they're not available. Every single call gets logged. Legislative offices track these calls. Numbers matter.

Governor's Office

Start here. Make your voice heard directly.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger

Phone: (804) 786-2211

Mailing: Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 1475, Richmond, VA 23218

Web: governor.virginia.gov/contact

Virginia State Senate

The Senate passed SB749 21 to 19. That means it's a one-vote margin. Flipping a single Democratic senator kills this bill. That's not hyperbole. That's math.

For a complete list of all Virginia State Senators with their current phone numbers and contact information, visit:

Virginia Senate Official Directory: apps.senate.virginia.gov/senator/

General Assembly Legislator Finder: whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov

Key Senate Leadership to Contact:

• Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) - Supports the ban. Call to pressure him to reconsider.
• Senate Minority Leader Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Fauquier) - Opposes the ban. Call to thank her and encourage holding the line.
• Senators representing swing districts - Use the legislator finder above to identify your senator. If they voted yes, call and ask them to flip. If they voted no, thank them and ask them to hold.

Virginia House of Delegates

The Senate passed SB749 21 to 19. That means it's a one-vote margin. Flipping a single Democratic senator kills this bill. That's not hyperbole. That's math.

For a complete list of all Virginia State Senators with their current phone numbers and contact information, visit:

• Virginia Senate Official Directory: apps.senate.virginia.gov/senator/
  
• General Assembly Legislator Finder: whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov
  

Key Senate Leadership to Contact:

• Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) – (804) 698-7534: Supports the ban. Call to pressure him to reconsider.
  
• Senate Minority Leader Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Fauquier) – (804) 698-7527: Opposes the ban. Call to thank her and encourage holding the line.
  
• Senators representing swing districts: Use the legislator finder above to identify your senator. If they voted yes, call and ask them to flip. If they voted no, thank them and ask them to hold.
  

Virginia House of Delegates
The House passed HB217 (the companion bill) 60 to 35. There's more room for persuasion here than in the Senate. Even picking up a handful of votes in a large chamber matters for the political calculus.
For a complete directory of all House Delegates with contact information:

• Virginia House of Delegates Member Directory: virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php
  
• General Assembly Legislator Finder: whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov
  

Key House Leadership:

• House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) – (804) 698-1088: Supports the ban. Pressure from constituents matters.
  
• House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) – (804) 698-1045: Has been vocally opposed to SB749. Thank him and encourage him to keep fighting.
  
• Your local Delegate: Find them using the legislator lookup tool above. Call regardless of party. Every voice counts.

Don't Know Who Your Rep Is?

Use Virginia's official legislator lookup tool. Enter your home address here: whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov

It will show you your State Senator and your House Delegate with direct contact information. That's your starting point.

Why Virginia Matters Beyond Virginia

This isn't just about Virginia. It's about the trajectory of gun rights across the country.

Virginia is a test case. The state has a Democratic majority. The Governor is pushing hard. If SB749 becomes law and survives the inevitable DOJ lawsuit, every other blue state and purple state will see it as a roadmap. California will escalate. New York will escalate. Illinois will escalate.

The Second Amendment community cannot afford to lose Virginia without a fight. Every 80 lower you buy, every call you make, every friend you get to make those calls, it all sends a signal that Virginia gun owners are not going to roll over and accept incremental disarmament.

The Bruen framework, established by the Supreme Court in 2022, is supposed to protect us. But that protection only works if we use it. And we use it by making it politically costly to pass these bills. By flooding representatives with calls. By turning out in numbers when elections come around. By showing that gun rights still matter in Virginia.

The Bottom Line: Act Now

You have two critical deadlines. Two actions. Two chances to make a difference.

First deadline: April 22, 2026. That's when the General Assembly votes on the Governor's amended version of SB749. Make your calls this week. Contact your State Senator and your House Delegate. Contact the Governor. Get your family to call. Get your friends to call. Every single vote matters.

Second deadline: July 1, 2026. That's when the ban takes effect. If the bill becomes law, it becomes illegal to purchase or transfer semi-automatic firearms in Virginia. This is your window to get an 80 lower and the parts you need to build before that door closes permanently.

Pick up the phone. Make the calls. Then come back to us and stock up on 80 percent lower receivers and the parts you'll need. AR-15, AR-10, AR-45. All machined to perfection. All made right here in the USA. All waiting for you to build something that no government can take away.

Your rights don't defend themselves. Pick up the phone. Then pick up an 80 lower.

Sources:
Virginia SB749 Bill Details
DOJ Warns Virginia Over AR-15 Ban
Governor of Virginia Contact
Who's My Legislator
Virginia Senate Official Website
Virginia General Assembly