Del. Dan Helmer spearheaded Virginia’s assault weapons ban as the chief patron of House Bill 217, a centerpiece of a broader gun safety push during the 2026 legislative session.
The legislation would prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, and transfer of assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines, marking one of the most significant gun policy efforts in the state in years. Helmer’s gun safety legislation advanced through the General Assembly with Democratic support and Republican opposition, reflecting a sharp partisan divide over gun policy and public safety.
Helmer framed the bill through the lens of his military experience, arguing that weapons designed for combat should not be widely available in civilian settings.
Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax County is a lead sponsor of the bill and told the House Firearms Subcommittee: “This bill is based on a simple premise that weapons similar to those I carried in Iraq and Afghanistan should not be trafficked in our commonwealth. That our neighbors, our children, are not our enemies.”