Texas 2021 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1920 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 05/19/2021

                    By: Capriglione, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Springer) H.B. No. 1920
 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2021;
 May 3, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 Affairs; May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
 Yeas 8, Nays 1; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote


 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 of an airport
 terminal building to which access is controlled by the inspection
 of persons and property under federal law, or an aircraft parking
 area that is used by common carriers in air transportation but not
 by general aviation and to which access is controlled under federal
 law. The term does not include a baggage claim area, a motor
 vehicle parking area used by passengers, employees, or persons
 awaiting an arrival, or an area used by the public to pick up or drop
 off passengers or employees.
 SECTION 2.  Section 46.03(e), Penal Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (e)  It is 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 or the airport
 operator 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, 2021.
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