Monitoring the Session

HB 3669

Less-Lethal Exemption In Firearm Bill Turns On The Word ‘Adapted’

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsNeeds review
Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31
Why it's charged
The hole

THE TEXT

…“any weapon, device, or munition that is designed, made, or adapted to expel a projectile or multiple projectiles against a target to temporarily incapacitate the target while minimizing the risk of serious bodily injury or death”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The exclusion covers any weapon merely 'adapted' to fire incapacitating projectiles. The text does not plainly stop an ordinary gun loaded or adapted for less-lethal rounds from being argued out of the firearm definition.

The hole

Needs review · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the definition of firearm for purposes of certain criminal offenses.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Weapons “adapted” to incapacitate aren’t firearms. An ordinary gun so adapted? Nothing plainly stops it.

The bill removes less-lethal projectile devices, such as tools built to fire projectiles that temporarily stop a person while minimizing the risk of serious injury or death, from the Penal Code definition of firearm used in the weapons chapter. It touches anyone who owns, carries or sells these devices, along with the police and prosecutors who enforce the weapons offenses in that chapter. Starting September 1, 2025, firearm rules in that chapter no longer reach these devices, so carrying or possessing one is no longer treated as carrying or possessing a firearm.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs committee 7-1 on Apr 24, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 13, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3669 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Rep. Joe MoodyDHouse 78 Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

+ 1 more author, 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the definition of firearm for purposes of certain criminal offenses.

WHAT IT DOES

Weapons “adapted” to incapacitate aren’t firearms. An ordinary gun so adapted? Nothing plainly stops it.

The bill removes less-lethal projectile devices, such as tools built to fire projectiles that temporarily stop a person while minimizing the risk of serious injury or death, from the Penal Code definition of firearm used in the weapons chapter. It touches anyone who owns, carries or sells these devices, along with the police and prosecutors who enforce the weapons offenses in that chapter. Starting September 1, 2025, firearm rules in that chapter no longer reach these devices, so carrying or possessing one is no longer treated as carrying or possessing a firearm.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

…“any weapon, device, or munition that is designed, made, or adapted to expel a projectile or multiple projectiles against a target to temporarily incapacitate the target while minimizing the risk of serious bodily injury or death”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The exclusion covers any weapon merely 'adapted' to fire incapacitating projectiles. The text does not plainly stop an ordinary gun loaded or adapted for less-lethal rounds from being argued out of the firearm definition.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 28, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ryan Guillen

Donors

Frontera Texas PAC$160KTexas Sands PAC$121KAssociated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$23K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Frontera Texas PAC$160,007.97

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

Texas Sands PAC$120,875.00

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$22,795.90

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101070155.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

×

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101070155.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses53
For
21
Against
30
On
2
Names

For

  • Austin Police Association1 registration
  • Axon1 registration
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
  • Dallas Police Association1 registration
  • Dallas Police Department1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Harris county sheriffs office1 registration
  • Self6 registrations
  • Self; Gun Owners of America3 registrations
  • Self; Gun Owners of America - Texas1 registration
  • Self; Harris County Sheriff’s Office1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Self; Texas Gun Rights1 registration
  • TMPA1 registration

Against

  • American Civil Liberties Union of Texas1 registration
  • El Paso County1 registration
  • Self21 registrations
  • Self; Community Justice1 registration
  • Self; Mom Demand Action1 registration
  • Self; Moms Demand Action3 registrations
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration
  • Travis County District Attorney’s Office1 registration

On

  • Everytown for gun safety1 registration
  • Self1 registration
Sources

53 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 28, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 4, 2025

05/13/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:52 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

House committee · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Committee vote 7 aye, 1 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1456 by Hagenbuch (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Weapons

Text

The text as introduced · 318 words

89R6103 LHC-F

By: Guillen
H.B. No. 3669

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of firearm for purposes of certain

criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 46.01(3), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(3) "Firearm" means any device designed, made, or

adapted to expel a projectile through a barrel by using the energy

generated by an explosion or burning substance or any device

readily convertible to that use. Firearm does not include :

(A) a firearm that may have, as an integral part,

a folding knife blade or other characteristics of weapons made

illegal by this chapter and that is:

(i) [ (A) ] an antique or curio firearm

manufactured before 1899; or

(ii) [ (B) ] a replica of an antique or curio

firearm manufactured before 1899, but only if the replica does not

use rim fire or center fire ammunition ; or

(B) a less-lethal projectile device .

SECTION 2. Section 46.01, Penal Code, is amended by adding

Subdivision (21) to read as follows:

(21) "Less-lethal projectile device" means any

weapon, device, or munition that is designed, made, or adapted to

expel a projectile or multiple projectiles against a target to

temporarily incapacitate the target while minimizing the risk of

serious bodily injury or death.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.