Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1960 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R13127 ADM-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 1960
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to firearm safety awareness; decreasing the application
8	8	and license fee for a license to carry a handgun.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 411.174(a), Government Code, is amended
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	(a) An applicant for a license to carry a handgun must
13	13	submit to the director's designee described by Section 411.176:
14	14	(1) a completed application on a form provided by the
15	15	department that requires only the information listed in Subsection
16	16	(b);
17	17	(2) one or more photographs of the applicant that meet
18	18	the requirements of the department;
19	19	(3) a certified copy of the applicant's birth
20	20	certificate or certified proof of age;
21	21	(4) proof of residency in this state;
22	22	(5) two complete sets of legible and classifiable
23	23	fingerprints of the applicant taken by a person appropriately
24	24	trained in recording fingerprints who is employed by a law
25	25	enforcement agency or by a private entity designated by a law
26	26	enforcement agency as an entity qualified to take fingerprints of
27	27	an applicant for a license under this subchapter;
28	28	(6) a nonrefundable application and license fee of $25
29	29	[$140] paid to the department;
30	30	(7) evidence of handgun proficiency, in the form and
31	31	manner required by the department;
32	32	(8) an affidavit signed by the applicant stating that
33	33	the applicant:
34	34	(A) has read and understands each provision of
35	35	this subchapter that creates an offense under the laws of this state
36	36	and each provision of the laws of this state related to use of
37	37	deadly force; and
38	38	(B) fulfills all the eligibility requirements
39	39	listed under Section 411.172; and
40	40	(9) a form executed by the applicant that authorizes
41	41	the director to make an inquiry into any noncriminal history
42	42	records that are necessary to determine the applicant's eligibility
43	43	for a license under Section 411.172(a).
44	44	SECTION 2. Sections 411.185(a) and (b), Government Code,
45	45	are amended to read as follows:
46	46	(a) To renew a license, a license holder must, on or before
47	47	the date the license expires, submit to the department by mail or,
48	48	in accordance with the procedure adopted under Subsection (f), on
49	49	the Internet:
50	50	(1) a renewal application on a form provided by the
51	51	department;
52	52	(2) payment of a nonrefundable renewal fee of $25 [as
53	53	set by the department]; and
54	54	(3) the informational form described by Subsection (c)
55	55	signed or electronically acknowledged by the applicant.
56	56	(b) The director by rule shall adopt a renewal application
57	57	form requiring an update of the information on the original
58	58	completed application. [The director by rule shall set the renewal
59	59	fee in an amount that is sufficient to cover the actual cost to the
60	60	department to:
61	61	[(1) verify the information contained in the renewal
62	62	application form;
63	63	[(2) conduct any necessary investigation concerning
64	64	the license holder's continued eligibility to hold a license; and
65	65	[(3) issue the renewed license.]
66	66	SECTION 3. Section 411.201(d), Government Code, is amended
67	67	to read as follows:
68	68	(d) An applicant for a license who is an active or retired
69	69	judicial officer must submit to the department:
70	70	(1) a completed application, including all required
71	71	affidavits, on a form prescribed by the department;
72	72	(2) one or more photographs of the applicant that meet
73	73	the requirements of the department;
74	74	(3) two complete sets of legible and classifiable
75	75	fingerprints of the applicant, including one set taken by a person
76	76	employed by a law enforcement agency who is appropriately trained
77	77	in recording fingerprints;
78	78	(4) evidence of handgun proficiency, in the form and
79	79	manner required by the department for an applicant under this
80	80	section;
81	81	(5) a nonrefundable application and license fee of $25
82	82	[set by the department in an amount reasonably designed to cover the
83	83	administrative costs associated with issuance of a license to carry
84	84	a handgun under this subchapter]; and
85	85	(6) if the applicant is a retired judicial officer, a
86	86	form executed by the applicant that authorizes the department to
87	87	make an inquiry into any noncriminal history records that are
88	88	necessary to determine the applicant's eligibility for a license
89	89	under this subchapter.
90	90	SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is
91	91	amended by adding Sections 411.210 and 411.211 to read as follows:
92	92	Sec. 411.210. FIREARM SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM. (a) The
93	93	department, in collaboration with the Department of Family and
94	94	Protective Services, shall develop and administer a firearm safety
95	95	awareness program.
96	96	(b) The program must be designed to encourage firearm safety
97	97	and to improve public awareness on firearm safety topics,
98	98	including:
99	99	(1) prevention of firearm accidents, including the
100	100	prevention of accidents involving children;
101	101	(2) identifying mental health crisis and suicide
102	102	prevention; and
103	103	(3) the safe handling and storage of firearms.
104	104	(c) The department shall dedicate $5 from each fee collected
105	105	under this subchapter to the program.
106	106	(d) The department may pay the costs of the program and its
107	107	administration only from:
108	108	(1) the proceeds of fees collected under this chapter
109	109	and dedicated to the program under this section;
110	110	(2) gifts, grants, or donations;
111	111	(3) matching funds; and
112	112	(4) funds received from the federal government.
113	113	Sec. 411.211. FIREARM AWARENESS AND SAFETY TASK FORCE. (a)
114	114	The Firearm Awareness and Safety Task Force is created.
115	115	(b) The members of the task force shall develop
116	116	recommendations to the department on the administration of the
117	117	firearm safety awareness program established by Section 411.210.
118	118	(c) The task force consists of:
119	119	(1) two members of the public;
120	120	(2) two members representing the department;
121	121	(3) one member representing the Health and Human
122	122	Services Commission;
123	123	(4) one member representing local law enforcement;
124	124	(5) one member representing the firearm industry;
125	125	(6) one member representing a suicide prevention
126	126	organization;
127	127	(7) one member representing a gun violence prevention
128	128	organization;
129	129	(8) one member representing a gun advocacy
130	130	organization; and
131	131	(9) one member representing the Texas Veterans
132	132	Commission.
133	133	(d) All members of the task force are appointed by the
134	134	governor and do not require confirmation.
135	135	(e) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the task force.
136	136	SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies only
137	137	to an application that is made to obtain an original or renewed
138	138	license to carry a handgun and submitted on or after the effective
139	139	date of this Act. An application described by this section that is
140	140	submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
141	141	law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former law
142	142	is continued in effect for that purpose.
143	143	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.