Tepper Bill Lets License Holders Carry Concealed Handguns At Polls

The text as introduced · 803 words

90R632 JDK-D

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 533

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the carrying of concealed handguns by handgun license

holders on the premises of certain polling places on the day of an

election or while early voting is in progress.

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

SECTION 1. Section 46.03(a), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally,

knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm,

location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in

Section 46.05(a):

(1) on the premises of a school or postsecondary

educational institution, on any grounds or building owned by and

under the control of a school or postsecondary educational

institution and on which an activity sponsored by the school or

institution is being conducted, or in a passenger transportation

vehicle of a school or postsecondary educational institution,

whether the school or postsecondary educational institution is

public or private, unless:

(A) pursuant to written regulations or written

authorization of the school or institution; or

(B) the person possesses or goes with a concealed

handgun that the person is licensed to carry under Subchapter H,

Chapter 411, Government Code, and no other weapon to which this

section applies, on the premises of a postsecondary educational

institution, on any grounds or building owned by and under the

control of the institution and on which an activity sponsored by the

institution is being conducted, or in a passenger transportation

vehicle of the institution;

(2) on the premises of a polling place on the day of an

election or while early voting is in progress , unless:

(A) the person possesses or goes with a concealed

handgun that the person is licensed to carry under Subchapter H,

Chapter 411, Government Code, and no other weapon to which this

section applies; and

(B) the polling place is not at a location where

the possession of a concealed handgun is otherwise prohibited by

state law ;

(3) on the premises of any government court or offices

utilized by the court, unless pursuant to written regulations or

written authorization of the court;

(4) on the premises of a racetrack;

(5) in or into a secured area of an airport;

(6) within 1,000 feet of premises the location of

which is designated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a

place of execution under Article 43.19, Code of Criminal Procedure,

on a day that a sentence of death is set to be imposed on the

designated premises and the person received notice that:

(A) going within 1,000 feet of the premises with

a weapon listed under this subsection was prohibited; or

(B) possessing a weapon listed under this

subsection within 1,000 feet of the premises was prohibited;

(7) on the premises of a business that has a permit or

license issued under Chapter 25, 28, 32, 69, or 74, Alcoholic

Beverage Code, if the business derives 51 percent or more of its

income from the sale or service of alcoholic beverages for

on-premises consumption, as determined by the Texas Alcoholic

Beverage Commission under Section 104.06, Alcoholic Beverage Code;

(8) on the premises where a high school, collegiate,

or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking

place, unless the person is a participant in the event and a

firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon

listed in Section 46.05(a) is used in the event;

(9) on the premises of a correctional facility;

(10) on the premises of a civil commitment facility;

(11) on the premises of a hospital licensed under

Chapter 241, Health and Safety Code, or on the premises of a nursing

facility licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, unless

the person has written authorization of the hospital or nursing

facility administration, as appropriate;

(12) on the premises of a mental hospital, as defined

by Section 571.003, Health and Safety Code, unless the person has

written authorization of the mental hospital administration;

(13) in an amusement park; or

(14) in the room or rooms where a meeting of a

governmental entity is held, if the meeting is an open meeting

subject to Chapter 551, Government Code, and if the entity provided

notice as required by that chapter.

SECTION 2. 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.