Texas 2009 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1424 House Committee Report / Bill

Filed 02/01/2025

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                    By: Seliger S.B. No. 1424
 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1424:
 By: Lewis C.S.S.B. No. 1424


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to a person's eligibility to possess or carry a concealed
 handgun or other firearm.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1. Section 411.1711, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 411.1711. CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS FROM CONVICTIONS. A
 person is not convicted, as that term is defined by Section 411.171,
 if an order of deferred adjudication was entered against the person
 on a date not less than 10 years preceding the date of the person's
 application for a license under this subchapter unless the order of
 deferred adjudication was entered against the person for a[n]
 felony level offense under any of the following provisions of the
 Texas Penal Code or a substantially similar provision under the
 laws of any other state: Title 5, [Penal Code, or Chapter 29, Penal
 Code] Chapter 29, Sections 25.07, or 30.02 (burglary of habitation
 only) or
 (2) an offense under the laws of another state if the
 offense contains elements that are substantially similar to the
 elements of an offense listed in Subdivision (1).
 (3) "Concealed handgun" means a handgun, the presence
 of which is not openly discernible to the ordinary observation of a
 reasonable person.
 (4) "Convicted" means an adjudication of guilt or,
 except as provided in Section 411.1711, an order of deferred
 adjudication entered against a person by a court of competent
 jurisdiction whether or not the imposition of the sentence is
 subsequently probated and the person is discharged from community
 supervision. The term does not include an adjudication of guilt or
 an order of deferred adjudication that has been subsequently:
 (A) expunged; [or]
 (B) pardoned under the authority of a state or
 federal official; or
 (C)  otherwise vacated, set aside, annulled,
 invalidated, voided, or sealed under any state or federal law.
 SECTION 2. Sections 411.172, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (a) A person is eligible for a license to carry a concealed
 handgun if the person:
 (1) is a legal resident of this state for the six-month
 period preceding the date of application under this subchapter or
 is otherwise eligible for a license under Section 411.173(a);
 (2) is at least 21 years of age;
 (3) has not been convicted of a felony;
 (4) is not charged with the commission of a Class A or
 Class B misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code,
 or of a felony under an information or indictment;
 (5) is not a fugitive from justice for a felony or a
 Class A or Class B misdemeanor;
 (6) is not a chemically dependent person;
 (7) is not incapable of exercising sound judgment with
 respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun;
 (8) has not, in the five years preceding the date of
 application, been convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or
 an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code (or an equivalent
 provision in another state);
 (9) is fully qualified under applicable federal and
 state law to purchase a handgun;
 (10) has not been finally determined to be delinquent
 in making a child support payment administered or collected by the
 attorney general;
 [(11)     has not been finally determined to be delinquent
 in the payment of a tax or other money collected by the comptroller,
 the tax collector of a political subdivision of the state, or any
 agency or subdivision of the state;
 [(12)     has not been finally determined to be in default
 on a loan made under Chapter 57, Education Code;]
 (11) [(13)] is not currently restricted under a court
 protective order or subject to a restraining order affecting the
 spousal relationship, other than a restraining order solely
 affecting property interests;
 (12) [(14)] has not, in the 10 years preceding the
 date of application, been adjudicated as having engaged in
 delinquent conduct violating a penal law of the grade of felony; and
 (13) [(15)] has not made any material
 misrepresentation, or failed to disclose any material fact, in an
 application submitted pursuant to Section 411.174 [or in a request
 for application submitted pursuant to Section 411.175].
 (b) For the purposes of this section, an offense under the
 laws of this state, another state, or the United States is:
 (1) except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a felony
 if [the offense], at the time it is committed, the offense [of a
 person's application for a license to carry a concealed handgun]:
 (A) is designated by a law of this state as a
 felony;
 (B) contains all the elements of an offense
 designated by a law of this state as a felony; or
 (C) is punishable by confinement for one year or
 more in a penitentiary; and
 (2) a Class A misdemeanor if the offense is not a
 felony and confinement in a jail other than a state jail felony
 facility is affixed as a possible punishment.
 (b-1)  An offense is not considered a felony for purposes of
 Subsection (b)(1) if, at the time of a person's application for a
 license to carry a concealed handgun, the offense:
 (1)  is designated by a law of this state as a
 misdemeanor; or
 (2)  does not contain all the elements of any offense
 designated by a law of this state as a felony.
 (c) An individual who has been convicted two times within
 the 10-year period preceding the date on which the person applies
 for a license of an offense of the grade of Class B misdemeanor or
 greater that involves the use of alcohol or a controlled substance
 as a statutory element of the offense is a chemically dependent
 person for purposes of this section and is not qualified to receive
 a license under this subchapter. This subsection does not preclude
 the disqualification of an individual for being a chemically
 dependent person if other evidence exists to show that the person is
 a chemically dependent person.
 (d) For purposes of Subsection (a)(7), a person is incapable
 of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and
 storage of a handgun if the person:
 (1) has been diagnosed by a licensed physician as
 suffering from a psychiatric disorder or condition that causes or
 is likely to cause substantial impairment in judgment, mood,
 perception, impulse control, or intellectual ability;
 (2) suffers from a psychiatric disorder or condition
 described by Subdivision (1) that:
 (A) is in remission but is reasonably likely to
 redevelop at a future time; or
 (B) requires continuous medical treatment to
 avoid redevelopment;
 (3) has been diagnosed by a licensed physician,
 determined by a review board or similar authority, or declared by a
 court to be incompetent to manage the person's own affairs; or
 (4) has entered in a criminal proceeding a plea of not
 guilty by reason of insanity.
 (e) The following constitutes evidence that a person has a
 psychiatric disorder or condition described by Subsection (d)(1):
 (1) involuntary psychiatric hospitalization [in the
 preceding five-year period];
 (2) psychiatric hospitalization [in the preceding
 two-year period];
 (3) inpatient or residential substance abuse
 treatment in the preceding five-year period;
 (4) diagnosis in the preceding five-year period by a
 licensed physician that the person is dependent on alcohol, a
 controlled substance, or a similar substance; or
 (5) diagnosis at any time by a licensed physician that
 the person suffers or has suffered from a psychiatric disorder or
 condition consisting of or relating to:
 (A) schizophrenia or delusional disorder;
 (B) bipolar disorder;
 (C) chronic dementia, whether caused by illness,
 brain defect, or brain injury;
 (D) dissociative identity disorder;
 (E) intermittent explosive disorder; or
 (F) antisocial personality disorder.
 SECTION 3. Sections 411.174(a) and (b), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a) An applicant for a license to carry a concealed handgun
 must submit to the director's designee described by Section
 411.176:
 (1) a completed application on a form provided by the
 department that requires only the information listed in Subsection
 (b);
 (2) one or more [two recent color passport]
 photographs of the applicant that meet the requirements of the
 department[, except that an applicant who is younger than 21 years
 of age must submit two recent color passport photographs in profile
 of the applicant];
 (3) a certified copy of the applicant's birth
 certificate or certified proof of age;
 (4) proof of residency in this state;
 (5) two complete sets of legible and classifiable
 fingerprints of the applicant taken by a person appropriately
 trained in recording fingerprints who is employed by a law
 enforcement agency or by a private entity designated by a law
 enforcement agency as an entity qualified to take fingerprints of
 an applicant for a license under this subchapter;
 (6) a nonrefundable application and license fee of
 $140 paid to the department;
 (7) evidence of [a] handgun proficiency, in the form
 and manner required by the department [certificate described by
 Section 411.189];
 (8) an affidavit signed by the applicant stating that
 the applicant:
 (A) has read and understands each provision of
 this subchapter that creates an offense under the laws of this state
 and each provision of the laws of this state related to use of
 deadly force; and
 (B) fulfills all the eligibility requirements
 listed under Section 411.172; and
 (9) a form executed by the applicant that authorizes
 the director to make an inquiry into any noncriminal history
 records that are necessary to determine the applicant's eligibility
 for a license under Section 411.172(a).
 (b) An applicant must provide on the application a statement
 of the applicant's:
 (1) full name and place and date of birth;
 (2) race and sex;
 (3) residence and business addresses for the preceding
 five years;
 (4) hair and eye color;
 (5) height and weight;
 (6) driver's license number or identification
 certificate number issued by the department;
 (7) criminal history record information of the type
 maintained by the department under this chapter, including a list
 of offenses for which the applicant was arrested, charged, or under
 an information or indictment and the disposition of the offenses;
 and
 (8) history [during the preceding five years], if any,
 of treatment received by, commitment to, or residence in:
 (A) a drug or alcohol treatment center licensed
 to provide drug or alcohol treatment under the laws of this state or
 another state, but only if the treatment, commitment, or residence
 occurred during the preceding five years; or
 (B) a psychiatric hospital.
 SECTION 4. Section 411.176, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 411.176. REVIEW OF APPLICATION MATERIALS. (a) On
 receipt of [the] application materials by the department at its
 Austin headquarters, the department shall conduct the appropriate
 criminal history record check of the applicant through its
 computerized criminal history system. Not later than the 30th day
 after the date the department receives the application materials,
 the department shall forward the materials to the director's
 designee in the geographical area of the applicant's residence so
 that the designee may conduct the investigation described by
 Subsection (b). For purposes of this section, the director's
 designee may be a noncommissioned employee of the department.
 (b) The director's designee as needed shall conduct an
 additional criminal history record check of the applicant and an
 investigation of the applicant's local official records to verify
 the accuracy of the application materials. The director's designee
 may access any records necessary for purposes of this subsection.
 The scope of the record check and the investigation are at the sole
 discretion of the department, except that the director's designee
 shall complete the record check and investigation not later than
 the 60th day after the date the department receives the application
 materials. The department shall send a fingerprint card to the
 Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history
 check of the applicant. On completion of the investigation, the
 director's designee shall return all materials and the result of
 the investigation to the appropriate division of the department at
 its Austin headquarters.
 (c) The director's designee may submit to the appropriate
 division of the department, at the department's Austin
 headquarters, along with the application materials a written
 recommendation for disapproval of the application, accompanied by
 an affidavit stating personal knowledge or naming persons with
 personal knowledge of a ground for denial under Section 411.172.
 The director's designee [in the appropriate geographical area] may
 also submit the application and the recommendation that the license
 be issued.
 (d) On receipt at the department's Austin headquarters of
 the application materials and the result of the investigation by
 the director's designee, the department shall conduct any further
 record check or investigation the department determines is
 necessary if a question exists with respect to the accuracy of the
 application materials or the eligibility of the applicant, except
 that the department shall complete the record check and
 investigation not later than the 180th day after the date the
 department receives the application materials from the applicant.
 SECTION 5. Sections 411.177(a) and (b), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a) The department shall issue a license to carry a
 concealed handgun to an applicant if the applicant meets all the
 eligibility requirements and submits all the application
 materials. The department may issue a license to carry handguns
 only of the categories for which the applicant has demonstrated
 proficiency in the form and manner required by the department
 [indicated on the applicant's certificate of proficiency issued
 under Section 411.189]. The department shall administer the
 licensing procedures in good faith so that any applicant who meets
 all the eligibility requirements and submits all the application
 materials shall receive a license. The department may not deny an
 application on the basis of a capricious or arbitrary decision by
 the department.
 (b) The department shall, not later than the 60th day after
 the date of the receipt by the director's designee of the completed
 application materials:
 (1) issue the license;
 (2) notify the applicant in writing that the
 application was denied:
 (A) on the grounds that the applicant failed to
 qualify under the criteria listed in Section 411.172;
 (B) based on the affidavit of the director's
 designee submitted to the department under Section 411.176(c)
 [411.176(b)]; or
 (C) based on the affidavit of the qualified
 handgun instructor submitted to the department under Section
 411.188(j) [411.189(c)]; or
 (3) notify the applicant in writing that the
 department is unable to make a determination regarding the issuance
 or denial of a license to the applicant within the 60-day period
 prescribed by this subsection and include in that notification an
 explanation of the reason for the inability and an estimation of the
 amount of time the department will need to make the determination.
 SECTION 6. Section 411.184(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a) To modify a license to allow a license holder to carry a
 handgun of a different category than the license indicates, the
 license holder must:
 (1) complete a proficiency examination as provided by
 Section 411.188(e);
 [(2)     obtain a handgun proficiency certificate under
 Section 411.189 not more than six months before the date of
 application for a modified license;] and
 (2) [(3)] submit to the department:
 (A) an application for a modified license on a
 form provided by the department;
 (B) evidence of [a copy of the] handgun
 proficiency, in the form and manner required by the department
 [certificate];
 (C) payment of a modified license fee of $25; and
 (D) one or more [two recent color passport]
 photographs of the license holder that meet the requirements of the
 department[, except that an applicant who is younger than 21 years
 of age must submit two recent color passport photographs in profile
 of the applicant].
 SECTION 7. Section 411.185(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a) To renew a license, a license holder must:
 (1) complete a continuing education course in handgun
 proficiency under Section 411.188(c) within the six-month period
 preceding:
 (A) the date of application for renewal, for a
 first or second renewal; and
 (B) the date of application for renewal or the
 date of application for the preceding renewal, for a third or
 subsequent renewal, to ensure that the license holder is not
 required to complete the course more than once in any 10-year
 period;
 [(2)     obtain a handgun proficiency certificate under
 Section 411.189 within the six-month period preceding:
 [(A)     the date of application for renewal, for a
 first or second renewal; and
 [(B)     the date of application for renewal or the
 date of application for the preceding renewal, for a third or
 subsequent renewal, to ensure that the license holder is not
 required to obtain the certificate more than once in any 10-year
 period;] and
 (2) [(3)] submit to the department:
 (A) an application for renewal on a form provided
 by the department;
 (B) evidence of [a copy of the] handgun
 proficiency, in the form and manner required by the department
 [certificate];
 (C) payment of a nonrefundable renewal fee as set
 by the department; and
 (D) one or more [two recent color passport]
 photographs of the applicant that meet the requirements of the
 department.
 SECTION 8. Section 411.186(a), Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a) The department shall revoke a [A] license [may be
 revoked] under this section if the license holder:
 (1) was not entitled to the license at the time it was
 issued;
 (2) [gave false information on the application] made a
 material misrepresentation or failed to disclose a material fact on
 an application submitted under this subchapter;
 (3) subsequently becomes ineligible for a license
 under Section 411.172, unless the sole basis for the ineligibility
 is that the license holder is charged with the commission of a Class
 A or Class B misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal
 Code, or of a felony under an information or indictment;
 (4) is convicted of an offense under Section 46.035,
 Penal Code;
 (5) is determined by the department to have engaged in
 conduct constituting a reason to suspend a license listed in
 Section 411.187(a) after the person's license has been previously
 suspended twice for the same reason; or
 (6) submits an application fee that is dishonored or
 reversed, and the applicant fails to submit a cashier's check or
 money order made payable to the "Texas Department of Public Safety"
 in the amount of the dishonored application fee, plus $25, within
 thirty days of being notified by the department that the
 application fee had been dishonored or reversed.
 SECTION 9. Sections 411.187(a) and (c), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a) The department shall suspend a [A] license [may be
 suspended] under this section if the license holder:
 (1) is charged with the commission of a Class A or
 Class B misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code,
 or of a felony under an information or indictment;
 (2) fails to display a license as required by Section
 411.205;
 (3) fails to notify the department of a change of
 address or name as required by Section 411.181;
 (4) carries a concealed handgun under the authority of
 this subchapter of a different category than the license holder is
 licensed to carry;
 (5) fails to return a previously issued license after
 a license is modified as required by Section 411.184(d);
 (6) commits an act of family violence and is the
 subject of an active protective order rendered under Title 4,
 Family Code; or
 (7) is arrested for an offense involving family
 violence or an offense under Section 42.072, Penal Code, and is the
 subject of an order for emergency protection issued under Article
 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure.
 (c) The department shall suspend a [A] license [may be
 suspended] under this section:
 (1) for 30 days, if the person's license is subject to
 suspension for a reason listed in Subsection (a)(3), (4), or (5),
 except as provided by Subdivision (3);
 (2) for 90 days, if the person's license is subject to
 suspension for a reason listed in Subsection (a)(2), except as
 provided by Subdivision (3);
 (3) for not less than one year and not more than three
 years, if the person's license:
 (A) is subject to suspension for a reason listed
 in Subsection (a), other than the reason listed in Subsection
 (a)(1); [,]and
 (B) [the person's license] has been previously
 suspended for the same reason;
 (4) until dismissal of the charges, if the person's
 license is subject to suspension for the reason listed in
 Subsection (a)(1); or
 (5) for the duration of or the period specified by:
 (A) the protective order issued under Title 4,
 Family Code, if the person's license is subject to suspension for
 the reason listed in Subsection (a)(6); or
 (B) the order for emergency protection issued
 under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure, if the person's
 license is subject to suspension for the reason listed in
 Subsection (a)(7).
 SECTION 10. Section 411.188, Government Code, is amended by
 amending Subsections (a), (g), (h), and (i) and adding Subsection
 (j) to read as follows:
 (a) The director by rule shall establish minimum standards
 for handgun proficiency and shall develop a course to teach handgun
 proficiency and examinations to measure handgun proficiency. The
 course to teach handgun proficiency must contain training sessions
 divided into two parts. One part of the course must be classroom
 instruction and the other part must be range instruction and an
 actual demonstration by the applicant of the applicant's ability to
 safely and proficiently use the applicable category of handgun [for
 which the applicant seeks certification]. An applicant must be
 able to demonstrate [may not be certified unless the applicant
 demonstrates], at a minimum, the degree of proficiency that is
 required to effectively operate a handgun of .32 caliber or above.
 The department shall distribute the standards, course
 requirements, and examinations on request to any qualified handgun
 instructor.
 (g) A person who wishes to obtain or renew a license to carry
 a concealed handgun must apply in person to a qualified handgun
 instructor to take the appropriate course in handgun proficiency
 and[,] demonstrate handgun proficiency as required by the
 department[, and obtain a handgun proficiency certificate as
 described by Section 411.189].
 (h) A license holder who wishes to modify a license to allow
 the license holder to carry a handgun of a different category than
 the license indicates must apply in person to a qualified handgun
 instructor to demonstrate the required knowledge and proficiency
 [to obtain a handgun proficiency certificate] in that category [as
 described by Section 411.189].
 (i) A certified firearms instructor of the department may
 monitor any class or training presented by a qualified handgun
 instructor. A qualified handgun instructor shall cooperate with
 the department in the department's efforts to monitor the
 presentation of training by the qualified handgun instructor. A
 qualified handgun instructor shall make available for inspection to
 the department any and all records maintained by a qualified
 handgun instructor under this subchapter. The qualified handgun
 instructor shall keep a record of all [certificates of handgun
 proficiency issued by the qualified handgun instructor and other]
 information required by department rule.
 (j)  A qualified handgun instructor may submit to the
 department a written recommendation for disapproval of the
 application for a license, renewal, or modification of a license,
 accompanied by an affidavit stating personal knowledge or naming
 persons with personal knowledge of facts that lead the instructor
 to believe that an applicant does not possess the required handgun
 proficiency.  The department may use a written recommendation
 submitted under this subsection as the basis for denial of a license
 only if the department determines that the recommendation is made
 in good faith and is supported by a preponderance of the evidence.
 The department shall make a determination under this subsection not
 later than the 45th day after the date the department receives the
 written recommendation.  The 60-day period in which the department
 must take action under Section 411.177(b) is extended one day for
 each day a determination is pending under this subsection.
 SECTION 11. Section 411.1882, Government Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 Sec. 411.1882. [EXEMPTION FROM] EVIDENCE OF HANDGUN
 [CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT] PROFICIENCY FOR CERTAIN PERSONS. [(a)
 Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, a person
 may not be required to submit to the department a handgun
 proficiency certificate to obtain or renew a concealed handgun
 license issued under this subchapter if:
 [(1) the person is currently serving in this state as:
 [(A) a judge or justice of a federal court;
 [(B)     an active judicial officer, as defined by
 Section 411.201, Government Code; or
 [(C)     a district attorney, assistant district
 attorney, criminal district attorney, assistant criminal district
 attorney, county attorney, or assistant county attorney; and
 [(2)     a handgun proficiency instructor approved by the
 Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education for
 purposes of Section 1702.1675, Occupations Code, makes a sworn
 statement indicating that the person demonstrated proficiency to
 the instructor in the use of handguns during the 12-month period
 preceding the date of the person's application to the department
 and designating the types of handguns with which the person
 demonstrated proficiency.]
 (a)  A person who is currently serving in this state as a
 judge or justice of a federal court; an active judicial officer, as
 defined by Section 411.201, Government Code; or a district
 attorney, assistant district attorney, criminal district attorney,
 assistant criminal district attorney, county attorney, or
 assistant county attorney; may establish handgun proficiency for
 the purpose of this Chapter by obtaining a sworn statement from a
 handgun proficiency instructor approved by the Commission on Law
 Enforcement Officer Standards and Education for purposes of Section
 1702.1675, Occupations Code, indicating that the person
 demonstrated proficiency to the instructor in the use of handguns
 during the 12-month period preceding the date of the person's
 application to the department and designating the types of handguns
 with which the person demonstrated proficiency.
 (b) The director by rule shall adopt a procedure by which a
 person [who is exempt under] described in Subsection (a) [from the
 handgun proficiency certificate requirement] may submit a form
 demonstrating the person's qualification for an exemption under
 that subsection. The form must provide sufficient information to
 allow the department to verify whether the person qualifies for the
 exemption.
 (c) A license issued under this section automatically
 expires on the six-month anniversary of the date the person's
 status under Subsection (a) becomes inapplicable. A license that
 expires under this subsection may be renewed under Section 411.185.
 SECTION 12. Section 411.190, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
 (d-1)  The department shall ensure that an applicant may
 renew certification under Subsection (d) from any county in this
 state by using an online format to complete the required retraining
 courses if:
 (1)  the applicant is renewing certification for the
 first time; or
 (2)  the applicant completed the required retraining
 courses in person the previous time the applicant renewed the
 certificate.
 SECTION 13. Section 411.192, Government Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 Sec. 411.192. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS. (a) The
 department shall disclose to a criminal justice agency information
 contained in its files and records regarding whether a named
 individual or any individual named in a specified list is licensed
 under this subchapter. Information on an individual subject to
 disclosure under this section includes the individual's name, date
 of birth, gender, race, [and] zip code, phone number, email, and
 website address. Except as otherwise provided by this section and
 by Section 411.193, all other records maintained under this
 subchapter are confidential and are not subject to mandatory
 disclosure under the open records law, Chapter 552.
 (b) An applicant or license holder may be furnished a copy
 of disclosable records regarding the applicant or license holder on
 request and the payment of a reasonable fee.
 (c) The department shall notify a license holder of any
 request that is made for information relating to the license holder
 under this section and provide the name of the agency making the
 request.
 (d) [This section does not prohibit t]The department [from]
 shall make[ing] and distribute[ing] to the public at no cost[,]
 lists of individuals who are certified as qualified handgun
 instructors by the department. This list of certified handgun
 instructors shall include the individual's name, phone number,
 email, and website, and be made available on the department's
 website on or before June 1, 2010.
 (e) If an individual whose information is subject to
 disclosure under Section 411.192(d) submits a written request to
 the department that all or part of his or her information not be
 made available to the public, the department shall remove that
 individual's information from the list, in all or part as
 requested.
 SECTION 14. Sections 411.199(a) and (e), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a) A person who is licensed as a peace officer under
 Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, [415] and who has been employed
 full-time as a peace officer by a law enforcement agency may apply
 for a license under this subchapter at any time after retirement.
 (e) A retired peace officer who obtains a license under this
 subchapter must maintain, for the category of weapon licensed, the
 proficiency required for a peace officer under Section 1701.355,
 Occupations Code [415.035]. The department or a local law
 enforcement agency shall allow a retired peace officer of the
 department or agency an opportunity to annually demonstrate the
 required proficiency. The proficiency shall be reported to the
 department on application and renewal.
 SECTION 15. Section 411.1991(a), Government Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a) A person who is licensed as a peace officer under
 Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, [415] and is employed full-time as
 a peace officer by a law enforcement agency may apply for a license
 under this subchapter. The person shall submit to the department
 two complete sets of legible and classifiable fingerprints and a
 sworn statement of the head of the law enforcement agency employing
 the applicant. A head of a law enforcement agency may not refuse to
 issue a statement under this subsection. If the applicant alleges
 that the statement is untrue, the department shall investigate the
 validity of the statement. The statement must include:
 (1) the name and rank of the applicant;
 (2) whether the applicant has been accused of
 misconduct at any time during the applicant's period of employment
 with the agency and the disposition of that accusation;
 (3) a description of the physical and mental condition
 of the applicant;
 (4) a list of the types of weapons the applicant has
 demonstrated proficiency with during the preceding year; and
 (5) a recommendation from the agency head that a
 license be issued to the person under this subchapter.
 SECTION 16. Sections 411.201(c) and (d), Government Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (c) An active judicial officer is eligible for a license to
 carry a concealed handgun under the authority of this subchapter. A
 retired judicial officer is eligible for a license to carry a
 concealed handgun under the authority of this subchapter if the
 officer:
 (1) has not been convicted of a felony;
 (2) has not, in the five years preceding the date of
 application, been convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor;
 (3) is not charged with the commission of a Class A or
 Class B misdemeanor or of a felony under an information or
 indictment;
 (4) is not a chemically dependent person; and
 (5) is not a person of unsound mind.
 (d) An applicant for a license who is an active or retired
 judicial officer must submit to the department:
 (1) a completed application, including all required
 affidavits, on a form prescribed by the department;
 (2) one or more [two recent color passport]
 photographs of the applicant that meet the requirements of the
 department;
 (3) two complete sets of legible and classifiable
 fingerprints of the applicant, including one set taken by a person
 employed by a law enforcement agency who is appropriately trained
 in recording fingerprints;
 (4) evidence of [a] handgun proficiency, in the form
 and manner required by the department for an applicant under this
 section [certificate issued to the applicant as evidence that the
 applicant successfully completed the proficiency requirements of
 this subchapter];
 (5) [(4)] a nonrefundable application and license fee
 set by the department in an amount reasonably designed to cover the
 administrative costs associated with issuance of a license to carry
 a concealed handgun under this subchapter; and
 (6) [(5)] if the applicant is a retired judicial
 officer,[:
 [(A)     two complete sets of legible and
 classifiable fingerprints of the applicant taken by a person
 employed by a law enforcement agency who is appropriately trained
 in recording fingerprints; and
 (B)] a form executed by the applicant that
 authorizes the department to make an inquiry into any noncriminal
 history records that are necessary to determine the applicant's
 eligibility for a license under this subchapter.
 SECTION 17. Section 411.208, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
 (e)  The immunities granted under Subsection (a) to a
 qualified handgun instructor do not apply to a cause of action for
 fraud or a deceptive trade practice.
 SECTION 18. Article 17.292(l), Code of Criminal Procedure,
 is amended to read as follows:
 (l) In the order for emergency protection, the magistrate
 shall [may] suspend a license to carry a concealed handgun issued
 under Subchapter H, Chapter 411 [Section 411.177], Government Code,
 that is held by the defendant.
 SECTION 19. Section 57.481(c), Education Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 [(c)     The corporation shall maintain a system of
 communication among the appropriate state agencies and entities to
 reduce loan default claims.]
 SECTION 20. Section 85.022(d), Family Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (d) In a protective order, the court shall [may] suspend a
 license to carry a concealed handgun issued under Subchapter H,
 Chapter 411 [Section 411.177], Government Code, that is held by a
 person found to have committed family violence.
 SECTION 21. Section 12.095(e), Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (e) The panel may require the applicant or license holder to
 undergo a medical or other examination at the applicant's or
 holder's expense. A person who conducts an examination under this
 subsection may be compelled to testify before the panel and in any
 subsequent proceedings under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government
 Code, or Subchapter N, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, as
 applicable, concerning the person's observations and findings.
 SECTION 22. Section 12.097(b), Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (b) In a subsequent proceeding under Subchapter H, Chapter
 411, Government Code, or Subchapter N, Chapter 521, Transportation
 Code, the medical standards division may provide a copy of the
 report of the medical advisory board or panel and a medical record
 or report relating to an applicant or license holder to:
 (1) the Department of Public Safety of the State of
 Texas;
 (2) the applicant or license holder; and
 (3) the officer who presides at the hearing.
 SECTION 23. Section 46.04, Penal Code, is amended by adding
 Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:
 (f)  For the purposes of this section, an offense under the
 laws of this state, another state, or the United States is, except
 as provided by Subsection (g), a felony if, at the time it is
 committed, the offense:
 (1) is designated by a law of this state as a felony;
 (2)  contains all the elements of an offense designated
 by a law of this state as a felony; or
 (3)  is punishable by confinement for one year or more
 in a penitentiary.
 (g)  An offense is not considered a felony for purposes of
 Subsection (f) if, at the time the person possesses a firearm, the
 offense:
 (1)  is designated by a law of this state as a
 misdemeanor; or
 (2)  does not contain all the elements of any offense
 designated by a law of this state as a felony.
 SECTION 24. Sections 411.175 and 411.189, Government Code,
 are repealed.
 SECTION 25. The changes in law made by Sections 411.1711,
 411.172, and 411.201(c), Government Code, as amended by this Act,
 as amended by this Act, apply only to the eligibility of a person
 for the issuance, modification, or renewal of a license, the
 application for which is made on or after the effective date of this
 Act. A holder of a license that was issued, modified, or renewed
 before the effective date of this Act is not disqualified from
 holding that license solely by reason of this Act.
 SECTION 26. The changes in law made by Sections 411.174,
 411.176, 411.177, 411.184, 411.185, 411.188, and 411.201(d),
 Government Code, as amended by this Act, and by the repeal of
 Sections 411.175 and 411.189, Government Code, apply only to an
 application for the issuance, modification, or renewal of a license
 that is submitted to the Department of Public Safety on or after the
 effective date of this Act. An application submitted before the
 effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the
 application was submitted, and the former law is continued in
 effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 27. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
 411.186 and 411.187, Government Code, Article 17.292, Code of
 Criminal Procedure, and Section 85.022, Family Code, apply only to
 an administrative or judicial determination concerning the
 revocation or suspension of a license to carry a concealed handgun
 that is made on or after the effective date of this Act. An
 administrative or judicial determination made before the effective
 date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
 determination was made, and the former law is continued in effect
 for that purpose.
 SECTION 28. The change in law made by Section 411.208,
 Government Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to a cause of
 action that accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. A
 cause of action that accrued before the effective date of this Act
 is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective
 date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
 purpose.
 SECTION 29. The changes in law made by this Act in amending
 Sections 411.171 and 411.172, Government Code, apply only to the
 eligibility of a person for the issuance, modification, or renewal
 of a license, the application for which is made on or after the
 effective date of this Act. A holder of a license that was issued,
 modified, or renewed before the effective date of this Act is not
 disqualified from holding that license solely by reason of this
 Act.
 SECTION 30. The change in law made by this Act in amending
 Section 46.04, Penal Code, 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 covered by the law in effect when
 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 31. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.