Pulled from the new Texas Firearms Coalition’s new website is a list of the currently filed bills. The site will continue to monitor the status of these bills as they move through the process.
HB25 – By Guillen: Exempts watercraft from the general prohibitions on carrying a handgun in Texas Penal Code §46.02. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill
HB77 – By Flynn: Exempts watercraft from the general prohibitions on carrying a handgun in Texas Penal Code §46.02. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill
We are allowed to transport hand guns in our motor vehicles under certain conditions this will allow us to have handguns in our boats in Texas waterways. The handguns will be required to be concealed. and under control of the boat owner and operator.
HB86 – By Simpson : Campus-carry. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill
This is the big one, To many the right of criminals to slaughter unchallenged outweighs the right of Licensed CHL holders carry just as they do just about everywhere else in Texas. CHL holders are now allowed to carry on the property of college campuses, but not in the buildings, forcing them to leave their handguns in their cars. CHL holders for the most part are over 21, and as group they have very low crime rate.
HB145 – Laubenberg: Purports to exempt firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured in Texas from federal regulations and laws. Status: Pre-filed Well-intended Bill.
I don’t know if this bill will have any real effect but it challenges the authority of the feds to regulate firearms that stay within Texas Borders. I don’t know if the Feds will take this laying down, but it will prove interesting if this bill makes it though. Montana has also passed such a law, Several states have similar bills pending.
HB175 – By Jackson (?): Dealing with alcohol licensing. Includes a provision to deny a liquor license to anyone with, inter alia, any firearms related offense within five years. Status: Pre-filed. Neutral on bill.
This Bill deals with licensing with on-premises liquor establishments. I don’t know why firearms offences are brought up and treated any different than any other felonys. If I understand this correctly a midomeaner gun offence could restrict someone from getting one of these licenses.
HB145 – By Miller, Sid: Exempts firearms and ammunition from Texas sales tax. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill .
This is a session where the budget is tight, and any restricting of revenues is going to be looked at at closely. I wonder what the motivation of this bill is? Is it just to reassure the status of gun ownership a constitutional right? Personally I would rather see things like school supplies or toiletries put on the exempt list.
This might be to protect folks involved in face to face private gun sales from being persecuted over not paying taxes, particularly at gun shows.
HB190 – By Walle: Allows certain counties to regulate noise generated by loud speakers. Status: Pre-filed. Neutral on bill. CAVEAT: Watch bill for firearms related amendments.
The warnings on this relate to gun ranges, Any allowances for anti-gun ordinances has to be looked at carefully.
HB242 – By Craddick (R A): Requires law enforcement agencies to issue retired credentials to honorably retired officers. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill.
This would ensure that retired LEOs to their right to not only carry in Texas, but in the rest of the country. Retired officers could be targeted by vengeful criminals whom they may have crossed during their careers.
HB356 – By Burnam (D F): Requires Texas Residents to have a Texas CHL to carry in Texas. Status: Pre-filed. Bad Bill.
Another bill designed to strip folks from the right to bear arms.
Senate Bills
SB294 – By Hinojosa: Requires DPS and TABC to study feasibility of check points to search for firearms, drugs and contraband in vehicles leaving Texas and entering Mexico. Check points must be within 1 mile of the border. Guardedly neutral on Bill. CAVEAT: Watch bill for detrimental amendments.
While we wish to protect our border and believe we need to give the tools to Law enforcement Agencys. We should have the RKBA thought the whole nation including the last mile. This bill seems to be intended on protecting Mexico’s right to disarm its citizens, I don’t believe we should be contributing assisisting in stripping the stripping rights of these people. The Texas Firearms Rights Coalition and the TSRA are single issue organizations. This seems like it has to many constitutional and civil rights issues to be allowed to turn into law.
There will be other bills added, most notably is the Parking Lot Bill, which will permit employees to keep their arms in their cars while they work.
