Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signs assault‑weapon ban and contraception access laws

Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a package of legislation on June 16 that includes a ban on assault weapons and large‑capacity magazines. The new law prohibits the purchase, sale, manufacture, import and transfer of assault weapons and devices that hold more than 15 rounds, classifying violations as a Class 1 misdemeanor. It takes effect on July 1 and faces legal challenges from the NRA and some county attorneys.

In the same ceremony, Spanberger enacted the Right to Contraception Act and the Contraception Equity Act, guaranteeing Virginia women the right to obtain birth‑control and requiring health‑insurance plans to cover contraception, including over‑the‑counter products. She said, “Decisions About Reproductive Care Are Deeply Personal, and They Belong to the Individuals Making Those Decisions.” The governor was joined by Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi, Congressman Eugene Vindman and state legislators.

Both measures represent a landmark expansion of gun‑control and reproductive‑rights protections in Virginia, a state that, according to officials, is the only Southern state not to tighten contraception access after the Dobbs decision.