Texas 2017 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2054 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 05/01/2017

                    By: West S.B. No. 2054
 (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2017; March 28, 2017, read
 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 1, 2017,
 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
 following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 1; May 1, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2054 By:  Nelson


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the offense of possessing a weapon in a secured area of
 an airport.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 46.03(c)(3), Penal Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (3)  "Secured area" means an area:
 (A)  of an airport terminal building or of an
 adjacent aircraft parking area used by common carriers in air
 transportation but not used by general aviation; and
 (B)  to which access is controlled [by the
 inspection of persons and property] under federal law.
 SECTION 2.  Section 46.03(e), Penal Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (e)  It is an exception to the application of [a defense to
 prosecution under] Subsection (a)(5) that the actor:
 (1)  checked all firearms as baggage in accordance with
 federal or state law or regulations before entering a secured area;
 or
 (2)  was authorized by a federal agency to possess a
 firearm in a secured area.
 SECTION 3.  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 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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