GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 799, which requires fingerprints to be submitted with an application for a concealed handgun permit or a renewal of such a permit.

This legislation targets individuals already subject to background checks and mandatory training, creating superfluous and onerous restrictions on responsible citizens exercising their Second Amendment right to self-defense. Despite an existing comprehensive instant background check system, this proposal would include an additional and redundant step in the concealed carry permit process.

Moreover, while the legislation mandates the destruction of fingerprints collected by the Commonwealth during the application process, the Federal Bureau of Investigation retains these fingerprints for the individual's lifetime. This record retention raises legitimate concerns regarding the privacy and civil liberties of those seeking to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

In 2012, in a bipartisan effort, the General Assembly repealed the local option to mandate fingerprints for a concealed handgun permit, recognizing the diminishing relevance of such requirements. This sensible shift is overshadowed in the current hyper-partisan climate, especially considering that concealed carry permit holders are known for being law-abiding citizens in the Commonwealth.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.