| 3 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 5 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 6 | | relating to the offense of possessing a weapon in a secured area of |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | | an airport. |
|---|
| 9 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 46.03(c)(3), Penal Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 11 | 10 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 11 | | (3) "Secured area" means an area: |
|---|
| 13 | 12 | | (A) of an airport terminal building or of an |
|---|
| 14 | 13 | | adjacent aircraft parking area used by common carriers in air |
|---|
| 15 | 14 | | transportation but not used by general aviation; and |
|---|
| 16 | 15 | | (B) to which access is controlled [by the |
|---|
| 17 | 16 | | inspection of persons and property] under federal law. |
|---|
| 18 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 46.03(e), Penal Code, is amended to read |
|---|
| 19 | 18 | | as follows: |
|---|
| 20 | 19 | | (e) It is an exception to the application of [a defense to |
|---|
| 21 | 20 | | prosecution under] Subsection (a)(5) that the actor: |
|---|
| 22 | 21 | | (1) checked all firearms as baggage in accordance with |
|---|
| 23 | 22 | | federal or state law or regulations before entering a secured area; |
|---|
| 24 | 23 | | or |
|---|
| 25 | 24 | | (2) was authorized by a federal agency to possess a |
|---|
| 26 | 25 | | firearm in a secured area. |
|---|
| 27 | 26 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|---|
| 28 | 27 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 29 | 28 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
|---|
| 30 | 29 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
|---|
| 31 | 30 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
|---|
| 32 | 31 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
|---|
| 33 | 32 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
|---|
| 34 | 33 | | before that date. |
|---|
| 35 | 34 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|