2017S0444-1 03/09/17
By: Huffman S.B. No. 1807
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the application of certain concealed handgun license
laws to United States attorneys and assistant United States
attorneys and to the authority of United States attorneys and
assistant United States attorneys to carry certain weapons.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 411.179(c), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) In adopting the form of the license under Subsection
(a), the department shall establish a procedure for the license of a
qualified handgun instructor or of a judge, justice, United States
attorney, assistant United States attorney, prosecuting attorney,
or assistant prosecuting attorney, as described by Section
46.15(a)(4), [or] (6), or (7), Penal Code, to indicate on the
license the license holder's status as a qualified handgun
instructor or as a judge, justice, United States attorney,
assistant United States attorney, district attorney, criminal
district attorney, or county attorney. In establishing the
procedure, the department shall require sufficient documentary
evidence to establish the license holder's status under this
subsection.
SECTION 2. Section 411.1882(a), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A person who is serving in this state as a judge or
justice of a federal court, as an active judicial officer as defined
by Section 411.201, as a United States attorney, assistant United
States attorney, district attorney, assistant district attorney,
criminal district attorney, assistant criminal district attorney,
county attorney, or assistant county attorney, as a supervision
officer as defined by Section 2, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
Procedure, or as a juvenile probation officer may establish handgun
proficiency for the purposes of this subchapter by obtaining from a
handgun proficiency instructor approved by the Texas Commission on
Law Enforcement for purposes of Section 1702.1675, Occupations
Code, a sworn statement that indicates that the person, during the
12-month period preceding the date of the person's application to
the department, demonstrated to the instructor proficiency in the
use of handguns.
SECTION 3. Section 411.201(h), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(h) The department shall issue a license to carry a
concealed handgun under the authority of this subchapter to a
United States attorney or an assistant United States attorney or to
an elected attorney representing the state or the federal
government in the prosecution of felony cases who meets the
requirements of this section for an active judicial officer. The
department shall waive any fee required for the issuance of an
original, duplicate, or renewed license under this subchapter for
an applicant who is a United States attorney or an assistant United
States attorney or who is an attorney elected or employed to
represent the state or the federal government in the prosecution of
felony cases.
SECTION 4. Section 46.035(h-1), Penal Code, as added by
Chapter 1222 (H.B. 2300), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
(h-1) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsections
(b)(1), (2), and (4)-(6), and (c) that at the time of the commission
of the offense, the actor was:
(1) a judge or justice of a federal court;
(2) an active judicial officer, as defined by Section
411.201, Government Code; or
(3) a United States attorney, assistant United States
attorney, district attorney, assistant district attorney, criminal
district attorney, assistant criminal district attorney, county
attorney, or assistant county attorney.
SECTION 5. Section 46.15(a), Penal Code, is amended to read
as follows:
(a) Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to:
(1) peace officers or special investigators under
Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, and neither section
prohibits a peace officer or special investigator from carrying a
weapon in this state, including in an establishment in this state
serving the public, regardless of whether the peace officer or
special investigator is engaged in the actual discharge of the
officer's or investigator's duties while carrying the weapon;
(2) parole officers and neither section prohibits an
officer from carrying a weapon in this state if the officer is:
(A) engaged in the actual discharge of the
officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and
(B) in compliance with policies and procedures
adopted by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice regarding the
possession of a weapon by an officer while on duty;
(3) community supervision and corrections department
officers appointed or employed under Section 76.004, Government
Code, and neither section prohibits an officer from carrying a
weapon in this state if the officer is:
(A) engaged in the actual discharge of the
officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and
(B) authorized to carry a weapon under Section
76.0051, Government Code;
(4) an active judicial officer as defined by Section
411.201, Government Code, who is licensed to carry a handgun under
Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code;
(5) an honorably retired peace officer, qualified
retired law enforcement officer, federal criminal investigator, or
former reserve law enforcement officer who holds a certificate of
proficiency issued under Section 1701.357, Occupations Code, and is
carrying a photo identification that is issued by a federal, state,
or local law enforcement agency, as applicable, and that verifies
that the officer is:
(A) an honorably retired peace officer;
(B) a qualified retired law enforcement officer;
(C) a federal criminal investigator; or
(D) a former reserve law enforcement officer who
has served in that capacity not less than a total of 15 years with
one or more state or local law enforcement agencies;
(6) a United States attorney, district attorney,
criminal district attorney, county attorney, or municipal attorney
who is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411,
Government Code;
(7) an assistant United States attorney, assistant
district attorney, assistant criminal district attorney, or
assistant county attorney who is licensed to carry a handgun under
Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code;
(8) a bailiff designated by an active judicial officer
as defined by Section 411.201, Government Code, who is:
(A) licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter
H, Chapter 411, Government Code; and
(B) engaged in escorting the judicial officer; or
(9) a juvenile probation officer who is authorized to
carry a firearm under Section 142.006, Human Resources Code.
SECTION 6. (a) To the extent of any conflict, this Act
prevails over another Act of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session,
2017, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in
enacted codes.
(b) The change in law made by this Act in amending Section
46.15(a), 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 was committed before that date.
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.