TX: 87R 2021 Session HB1238 Con Carry
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:58 pm
While this is Constitutional Carry bill, it is NOT a companion to Springer's SB540 in the Senate.
As I write this it is authored by Biedermann and White, and 11 "Co-Authors" have signed on, including a couple today.
It's official title (which is different from its "caption") is The Texas Constitutional Carry Act of 2021."
This is my read-thru of the bill, no promises as to accuracy etc. It does appear to be a better bill than SB540.
Here's the link to the bill itself: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/b ... navpanes=0
It changes the title of PC 46.02 from "Unlawful Carrying Weapons" to "Unlawful Carrying of Certain Age-Restricted Weapons."
It makes all violations of this section a Class C misdemeanor (most are Class A right now), except that violations that occur on a premises licensed or permitted to sell alcohol will remain a 3rd degree felony.
Currently 46.03 contains a long list of places you can't carry a firearm, location-restricted knife, or prohibited weapon listed in 46.05a, with the provision that a person with a LTC can carry a concealed handgun on a college or university campus, transportation, etc. It also contains the provision that allows an LTC who is found to have a handgun at an airport screening point the opportunity to leave and secure the gun elsewhere without being arrested. The bill makes changes that both these provisions apply to a person who is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm.
It adds a new section, 46.032, that essentially says as long as you are not a prohibited person, you are not required to get a license to carry a concealed handgun or a handgun partially or wholly visible in a holster. (Note: it does NOT specify belt or shoulder holster, just "holster.")
46.035, UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE HOLDER is renamed "UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN."
46.035 is edited to change every reference to "license holder" (and its variations) to simply "person." It also eliminates all references to "belt or shoulder", leaving simply "holster." As I write this section I don't know if the bill entirely eliminates the "belt or shoulder holster" requirement for "open carry," but looks like it so far.
It also changes references to 411.2031 Government Code to 51.992 Education Code. I haven't dived in to figure out what that means.
It moves 46.02(a-1) to 46.035 and renumbers it. That's the section that currently permits carrying a handgun in a vehicle as long as it is not in view and the person is not engaged in a criminal activity (other than a Class C traffic violation) or a gang member, nor a prohibited person.
>>> It also removes the requirement to have the handgun out of plain view, and it removes the gang membership prohibition. Thus as I read it you can carry a handgun in a vehicle in any manner as long as you are not carrying out a criminal activity and you are not a prohibited person by state or federal law.
In current law 46.035f contains a list of definitions, like "amusement park." This bill adds a definition of "intoxication" that points to 49.01 definition, which in the Alcohol and Intoxication Offenses part of the code.
Currently 46.15 is entitled "Nonapplicability" and basically says 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to a long list of cops and court officers and probation officers and whatnot. The text references "these two sections" several times, referring to 46.02 and 46.03. This bill deletes the reference to 46.02, and throughout replaces the "these two sections" with "none of these sections prohibit". It also adds a "judge or justice of the federal court" who hold licenses to carry to the long list of people whom the sections do not apply.
Maybe Rothstein can take a look at that whole section and tell us if it does something radically different or it's just updated so it conforms to the other changes in the bill. Too tedious for me right now.
Section 507 of the Business and Commerce Code has a provision that says a Concealed Handgun License is a valid form of ID. This bill updates that name to License to Carry, but what's interesting is it deletes the paragraph that states that this has no effect on the GC 411.205 requirement that a driver's license or ID certificate be presented along with a LTC. I haven't read ahead yet, but does that mean that the bill will delete that requirement entirely? Stay tuned.
There are numerous changes to other sections of code that essentially conform the wording to the changes noted above. There is an interesting updated provision that says a school district or open enrollment charter school cannot forbid an employee who is not otherwise a prohibited person from having a handgun or firearm in his vehicle in the parking lot as long as it is out of view. It used to apply only to employees with a LTC.
The Campus Carry Act provisions are moved from the Government Code to the Education Code, and the requirement to have LTC to carry on campus is removed. Wowser. I'll bet there will be some boohooing at the hearings by Art again.
It also provides some immunities to colleges and universities for actions by someone with handgun, with a couple of exceptions for arbitray and capricious acts by univ officials and, I think, bad acts by officials and employees who do something bad with handgun.
The 51% signs for bars (and the non-51% for hospitals) must have language changed from license holder to person.
The power of a peace officer to disarm a license holder when reasonably necessary for safety is extended to anyone carrying a handgun, but he must also give it back if he determines that the person is not a threat, no law has been violated, and the person is not a prohibited person.
A peace officer may not disarm nor detain a person solely because the person is carrying a concealed or holstered handgun.
A person, not just a license holder, who is carrying a handgun into a police station may be disarmed if he enters the secure portion of the facility, and the police shall provide a gun locker to store the handgun in, and give it back as soon as the person leaves the secure portion.
State agencies and political subdivisions may not prohibit a person carrying a handgun from entering unless the person is a prohibited person or state law prohibits carrying in that place.
The are changes to a number of other sections of the law that expand the legal carrying of handgun from LTC holder to a person not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm. That includes the Parks and Wildlife Code. Basically it looks like everywhere you can carry as a LTC holder you would be able to carry without a license as long as you are not a prohibited person.
30.05 Trespassing prohibition on denying entrance to someone because they are carrying under license is extended to anyone legally carrying a handgun.
30.06 and 30.07 trespassing sections are maintained, and separate signs maintained for forbidding concealed and carry in a holster (not just a belt or shoulder holster), with law and signs modified to refer to "person" rather than "license holder."
The provisions for emergency services volunteer are extended from "license holder' to "person".
As I write this it is authored by Biedermann and White, and 11 "Co-Authors" have signed on, including a couple today.
It's official title (which is different from its "caption") is The Texas Constitutional Carry Act of 2021."
This is my read-thru of the bill, no promises as to accuracy etc. It does appear to be a better bill than SB540.
Here's the link to the bill itself: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/b ... navpanes=0
It changes the title of PC 46.02 from "Unlawful Carrying Weapons" to "Unlawful Carrying of Certain Age-Restricted Weapons."
It makes all violations of this section a Class C misdemeanor (most are Class A right now), except that violations that occur on a premises licensed or permitted to sell alcohol will remain a 3rd degree felony.
Currently 46.03 contains a long list of places you can't carry a firearm, location-restricted knife, or prohibited weapon listed in 46.05a, with the provision that a person with a LTC can carry a concealed handgun on a college or university campus, transportation, etc. It also contains the provision that allows an LTC who is found to have a handgun at an airport screening point the opportunity to leave and secure the gun elsewhere without being arrested. The bill makes changes that both these provisions apply to a person who is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm.
It adds a new section, 46.032, that essentially says as long as you are not a prohibited person, you are not required to get a license to carry a concealed handgun or a handgun partially or wholly visible in a holster. (Note: it does NOT specify belt or shoulder holster, just "holster.")
46.035, UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE HOLDER is renamed "UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN."
46.035 is edited to change every reference to "license holder" (and its variations) to simply "person." It also eliminates all references to "belt or shoulder", leaving simply "holster." As I write this section I don't know if the bill entirely eliminates the "belt or shoulder holster" requirement for "open carry," but looks like it so far.
It also changes references to 411.2031 Government Code to 51.992 Education Code. I haven't dived in to figure out what that means.
It moves 46.02(a-1) to 46.035 and renumbers it. That's the section that currently permits carrying a handgun in a vehicle as long as it is not in view and the person is not engaged in a criminal activity (other than a Class C traffic violation) or a gang member, nor a prohibited person.
>>> It also removes the requirement to have the handgun out of plain view, and it removes the gang membership prohibition. Thus as I read it you can carry a handgun in a vehicle in any manner as long as you are not carrying out a criminal activity and you are not a prohibited person by state or federal law.
In current law 46.035f contains a list of definitions, like "amusement park." This bill adds a definition of "intoxication" that points to 49.01 definition, which in the Alcohol and Intoxication Offenses part of the code.
Currently 46.15 is entitled "Nonapplicability" and basically says 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to a long list of cops and court officers and probation officers and whatnot. The text references "these two sections" several times, referring to 46.02 and 46.03. This bill deletes the reference to 46.02, and throughout replaces the "these two sections" with "none of these sections prohibit". It also adds a "judge or justice of the federal court" who hold licenses to carry to the long list of people whom the sections do not apply.
Maybe Rothstein can take a look at that whole section and tell us if it does something radically different or it's just updated so it conforms to the other changes in the bill. Too tedious for me right now.
Section 507 of the Business and Commerce Code has a provision that says a Concealed Handgun License is a valid form of ID. This bill updates that name to License to Carry, but what's interesting is it deletes the paragraph that states that this has no effect on the GC 411.205 requirement that a driver's license or ID certificate be presented along with a LTC. I haven't read ahead yet, but does that mean that the bill will delete that requirement entirely? Stay tuned.
There are numerous changes to other sections of code that essentially conform the wording to the changes noted above. There is an interesting updated provision that says a school district or open enrollment charter school cannot forbid an employee who is not otherwise a prohibited person from having a handgun or firearm in his vehicle in the parking lot as long as it is out of view. It used to apply only to employees with a LTC.
The Campus Carry Act provisions are moved from the Government Code to the Education Code, and the requirement to have LTC to carry on campus is removed. Wowser. I'll bet there will be some boohooing at the hearings by Art again.
It also provides some immunities to colleges and universities for actions by someone with handgun, with a couple of exceptions for arbitray and capricious acts by univ officials and, I think, bad acts by officials and employees who do something bad with handgun.
The 51% signs for bars (and the non-51% for hospitals) must have language changed from license holder to person.
The power of a peace officer to disarm a license holder when reasonably necessary for safety is extended to anyone carrying a handgun, but he must also give it back if he determines that the person is not a threat, no law has been violated, and the person is not a prohibited person.
A peace officer may not disarm nor detain a person solely because the person is carrying a concealed or holstered handgun.
A person, not just a license holder, who is carrying a handgun into a police station may be disarmed if he enters the secure portion of the facility, and the police shall provide a gun locker to store the handgun in, and give it back as soon as the person leaves the secure portion.
State agencies and political subdivisions may not prohibit a person carrying a handgun from entering unless the person is a prohibited person or state law prohibits carrying in that place.
The are changes to a number of other sections of the law that expand the legal carrying of handgun from LTC holder to a person not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm. That includes the Parks and Wildlife Code. Basically it looks like everywhere you can carry as a LTC holder you would be able to carry without a license as long as you are not a prohibited person.
30.05 Trespassing prohibition on denying entrance to someone because they are carrying under license is extended to anyone legally carrying a handgun.
30.06 and 30.07 trespassing sections are maintained, and separate signs maintained for forbidding concealed and carry in a holster (not just a belt or shoulder holster), with law and signs modified to refer to "person" rather than "license holder."
The provisions for emergency services volunteer are extended from "license holder' to "person".