Virginia Protect Healthcare Workers Act — Hospital Weapons Ban (HB 229 / SB 173, 2026)

Summary

Virginia's Protect Healthcare Workers Act makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor — punishable by up to a $2,500 fine and up to one year in jail — to knowingly possess a weapon in hospitals, emergency departments, and facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Covered weapons include firearms, knives with blades longer than 3.5 inches, explosives, tasers, pepper spray, and box cutters.

Exceptions apply only to law enforcement officers and on-duty hospital security personnel. The law arrives as Virginia hospitals continue implementing the workplace violence incident reporting systems required by HB 1489 (2026) and the security assessment obligations under HB 2269/SB 1260 (2025), making it the third major Virginia healthcare security mandate in two sessions.

Key Provisions

• Weapons-Free Zones: Hospitals, emergency departments, and state behavioral health and developmental services facilities become statutory weapons-free zones.
• Broad Weapon Definition: Firearms, knives over 3.5 inches, explosives, tasers, pepper spray, and box cutters are covered.
• Criminal Penalty: Knowing possession is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to $2,500 and/or 12 months in jail).
• Narrow Exceptions: Law enforcement officers and on-duty hospital security are exempt; the general public, patients, and visitors are not.

Affected Entities

All Virginia hospitals, emergency departments, and DBHDS-operated facilities, and any person entering them.