Attorney General Backs Firearms Law Passed by V.I. Legislature
Cue Writer
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea is praising the V.I. Legislature’s passage of the 2026 Second Amendment Rights and Public Safety Act, calling the measure a broad update to the territory’s firearms laws.
In a media statement dated June 14, Rhea said the legislation was developed by the Virgin Islands Department of Justice in close collaboration with Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s office, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and members and staff of the Legislature.
Rhea said the bill is intended to bring “coherence and clarity” to the territory’s rules governing possession, licensing and carrying of firearms, while also aligning local law with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
The attorney general said the measure includes several public-safety provisions, including restrictions on explosive devices, automatic weapons and untraceable “ghost guns.” He also cited limits on firearms in sensitive places such as schools, hospitals, government buildings and large public events.
According to Rhea, the act also restricts certain accessories, including large-capacity magazines and devices that convert firearms to fire automatically.
The law is also aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of people legally barred from possessing them, including convicted violent felons, fugitives from justice, people subject to domestic-violence protection orders, and those adjudicated as dangerous to themselves or others, Rhea said.
“It strikes the balance our community deserves: full respect for the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens paired with meaningful regulations that allow our law enforcement officers to do their job and keep us safe,” Rhea said.
Rhea also thanked DOJ Assistant Attorney General Sean Bailey and St. Thomas Criminal Chief Timothy Perry for their work on the legislation.
Source: Media statement from the Virgin Islands Department of Justice