bill letting cities and counties ban guns at fairgrounds

The text as introduced · 452 words

89R16088 JSC-D

By: West
S.B. No. 2556

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to regulating the carrying of firearms on or within

publicly owned fairgrounds and similar public facilities during

certain events; creating a criminal offense.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 250, Local Government Code, is amended

by adding Section 250.014 to read as follows:

Sec. 250.014. REGULATION OF FIREARMS ON OR WITHIN PUBLICLY

OWNED FAIRGROUNDS AND SIMILAR PUBLIC FACILITIES. (a) A

municipality or county may adopt a regulation prohibiting a person,

including a person who holds a license to carry a handgun under

Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, from carrying a

firearm:

(1) on or within a publicly owned fairground or a

similar public facility owned or leased by the municipality or

county during a fair, festival, carnival, or similar event operated

by the municipality or county; or

(2) on or within a fairground or a similar public

facility during a fair, festival, carnival, or similar event:

(A) operated by a private entity; and

(B) located on property owned by the municipality

or county.

(b) A private entity that uses a fairground or similar

public facility owned by a municipality or county to host a fair,

festival, carnival, or similar event may prohibit the carrying of a

firearm by any person, including a person who holds a license to

carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,

on the property, regardless of whether the municipality or county

has adopted a regulation under Subsection (a).

(c) Subsections (a) and (b) do not authorize a municipality,

county, or private entity to regulate or prohibit the carrying of a

firearm by a person described by Section 46.15(a)(1), Penal Code,

or by a person who is otherwise authorized to carry a firearm under

a license or commission issued under Chapter 1702, Occupations

Code.

SECTION 2. Section 46.03, Penal Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (a-5) and amending Subsection (g-2) to read as follows:

(a-5) A license holder or other person commits an offense

if:

(1) the person carries a firearm on or within a

publicly owned fairground or similar public facility, other than an

amusement park;

(2) the carrying of a firearm on or within the

fairground or facility is prohibited under Section 250.014(a) or

(b), Local Government Code; and

(3) the municipality, county, or private entity

imposing the prohibition has given effective notice under Section

30.06 or 30.07, as applicable, with respect to the fairground or

facility.

(g-2) An offense committed under Subsection (a)(8),

(a)(10), (a)(11), (a)(13), (a-2), (a-3), [ or ] (a-4) , or (a-5) is a

Class A misdemeanor.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.