SB 706: bill makes Texas honor every other state’s handgun license

Caption

relating to the recognition of a handgun license issued by another state.

Summary

The federal background check requirement is dropped.

The bill makes Texas recognize every handgun carry license issued by any other state, dropping the old rule that the other state had to run a federal background check on applicants before Texas would honor it. It touches out-of-state license holders carrying in Texas, the governor, who must negotiate reciprocity deals only where another state demands one, and the Department of Public Safety, which must post and update a list of states that honor Texas licenses. On the ground, a visitor with any state's carry license can carry in Texas without a governor's proclamation or attorney general background-check finding, and two related subsections are repealed.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB706 · 2025-01-06

SOLD BY

Sen. Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5

+ 3 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the recognition of a handgun license issued by another state.

WHAT IT DOES

The federal background check requirement is dropped.

The bill makes Texas recognize every handgun carry license issued by any other state, dropping the old rule that the other state had to run a federal background check on applicants before Texas would honor it. It touches out-of-state license holders carrying in Texas, the governor, who must negotiate reciprocity deals only where another state demands one, and the Department of Public Safety, which must post and update a list of states that honor Texas licenses. On the ground, a visitor with any state's carry license can carry in Texas without a governor's proclamation or attorney general background-check finding, and two related subsections are repealed.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · February 22, 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

Jan 6, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Jan 6, 2025Filed
Feb 7, 2025Read first time
Feb 7, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Feb 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Feb 24, 2025Considered in public hearing
Feb 24, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Feb 24, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 3, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 3, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 5, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Mar 5, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Mar 6, 2025Co-author authorized
Mar 11, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Mar 12, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
Mar 13, 2025Co-author authorized
Mar 18, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Mar 19, 2025Co-author authorized
Mar 19, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Mar 19, 2025Record vote
Mar 19, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Mar 19, 2025Record vote
Mar 19, 2025Three day rule suspended
Mar 19, 2025Record vote
Mar 19, 2025Read 3rd time
Mar 19, 2025Passed
Mar 19, 2025Record vote
Mar 19, 2025Reported engrossed
Mar 20, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 9, 2025Read first time
Apr 9, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Apr 24, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 1, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 1, 2025Committee report distributed
May 2, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 16, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 20, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 20, 2025Rules suspended
May 20, 2025Additional sponsor(s) authorized
May 20, 2025Read 2nd time
May 20, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 20, 2025Record vote RV#3061
May 20, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 21, 2025Rules suspended
May 21, 2025Additional sponsor(s) authorized
May 21, 2025Read 3rd time
May 21, 2025Passed
May 21, 2025Record vote RV#3121
May 21, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 21, 2025House passage reported
May 21, 2025Reported enrolled
May 22, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 22, 2025Signed in the House
May 22, 2025Sent to the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Signed by the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 89 yea · 51 nay

Senate · 26 yea · 5 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 21, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Mar 19, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Charles Schwertner

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Charles Schwertner.

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.

Money

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

Votes6

House May 21, 2025

Yea: 89
Nay: 51
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 2
Excused: 6

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 3121

SB 706 was passed by (Record 3121): 89 Yeas, 51 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 89 (published)
Nay: 51 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 20, 2025

Yea: 85
Nay: 50
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 0
Excused: 14

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 3061

SB 706 was passed to third reading by (Record 3061): 85 Yeas, 50 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 85 (published)
Nay: 50 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 14 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Yea: 26
Nay: 5
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 5 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Yea: 26
Nay: 5
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Schwertner moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 706 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 5 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Yea: 26
Nay: 5
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 5 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Yea: 26
Nay: 5
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Schwertner moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 706 at this time on its second reading: SB 706, Relating to the recognition of a handgun license issued by another state. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 26 (published)
Nay: 5 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses14

For: 9
Against: 4
On: 1

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
National Rifle Association1 registration
Self3 registrations
Self; Gun Owners of America1 registration
Self; Texas State Rifle Association1 registration
Texas Department of Public Safety1 registration
Texas State Rifle Association1 registration

Against

Self1 registration
Self; League of Women Voters of Texas1 registration
Texas Gun Sense1 registration
Texas Impact1 registration

On

Office of the Attorney General1 registration

Sources

14 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

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

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

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · February 22, 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 Senate · Filed Jan 6, 2025

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report · Enrolled

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Brandon CreightonRSenate 4

Brent HagenbuchRSenate 30

Bob HallRSenate 2

Companion

HB 1337 by Isaac (identical)

Subjects

Governor

Intergovernmental Relations

Weapons

INTERNET

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 314 words

89R5686 JSC-F

By: Schwertner
S.B. No. 706

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the recognition of a handgun license issued by another

state.

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

SECTION 1. Section 411.173(b), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) A valid license to carry a handgun issued by any other

state is recognized in this state. The governor shall negotiate [ an

agreement ] with any other state an agreement that provides for the

reciprocal recognition [ issuance ] of a license to carry a handgun

if the other state requires such an agreement before recognizing a

license to carry a handgun issued by this state [ under which a

license issued by the other state is recognized in this state or

shall issue a proclamation that a license issued by the other state

is recognized in this state if the attorney general of the State of

Texas determines that a background check of each applicant for a

license issued by that state is initiated by state or local

authorities or an agent of the state or local authorities before the

license is issued. For purposes of this subsection, "background

check" means a search of the National Crime Information Center

database and the Interstate Identification Index maintained by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation ]. The department shall publish on

its Internet website and annually update a list of states in which a

license to carry a handgun issued by this state is recognized.

SECTION 2. Sections 411.173(c) and (d), Government Code,

are repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

House May 21, 2025

House May 20, 2025

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Senate Mar 19, 2025

Senate Mar 19, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion