| 1 | 1 | | 87R5849 NC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 2143 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the regulation of modern sporting rifles by certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | municipalities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 229.001(a), Local Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) Notwithstanding any other law, including Section 43.002 |
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| 13 | 13 | | of this code and Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, and except as |
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| 14 | 14 | | provided by Section 229.005, a municipality may not adopt |
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| 15 | 15 | | regulations relating to: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the transfer, possession, wearing, carrying, |
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| 17 | 17 | | ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, or registration of |
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| 18 | 18 | | firearms, air guns, knives, ammunition, or firearm or air gun |
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| 19 | 19 | | supplies or accessories; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) commerce in firearms, air guns, knives, |
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| 21 | 21 | | ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or accessories; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) the discharge of a firearm or air gun at a sport |
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| 23 | 23 | | shooting range. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 229, Local Government |
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| 25 | 25 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 229.005 to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 229.005. MODERN SPORTING RIFLES IN CERTAIN |
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| 27 | 27 | | MUNICIPALITIES. (a) In this section, "modern sporting rifle" |
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| 28 | 28 | | means: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has the |
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| 30 | 30 | | capacity to accept a detachable magazine that has: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously |
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| 32 | 32 | | beneath the action of the firearm; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (B) a folding or telescoping stock; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (C) a thumbhole stock; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (D) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that |
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| 36 | 36 | | can be held by the non-trigger hand; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (E) a flash suppressor, muzzle break, or muzzle |
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| 38 | 38 | | compensator; or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (F) a grenade launcher or flare launcher; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has a fixed |
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| 41 | 41 | | magazine that holds more than 10 rounds of ammunition; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (3) a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has an |
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| 43 | 43 | | overall length of less than 30 inches; or |
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| 44 | 44 | | (4) a semiautomatic centerfire pistol that has the |
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| 45 | 45 | | capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (A) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that |
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| 47 | 47 | | can be held by the non-trigger hand; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (B) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the |
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| 49 | 49 | | pistol outside of the pistol grip; or |
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| 50 | 50 | | (C) a shroud that is attached to or partially or |
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| 51 | 51 | | completely encircles the barrel and that permits the shooter to |
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| 52 | 52 | | hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (b) For purposes of this section, "modern sporting rifle" |
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| 54 | 54 | | does not include any rifle that: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (1) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or |
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| 56 | 56 | | slide action; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (2) has been rendered permanently inoperable; or |
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| 58 | 58 | | (3) is an antique firearm or a curio or relic. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (c) This section applies only to a municipality with a |
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| 60 | 60 | | population of 600,000 or more. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (d) Notwithstanding any other law, a municipality may |
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| 62 | 62 | | regulate the carrying of a partially or wholly visible modern |
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| 63 | 63 | | sporting rifle on or about a person in a public place. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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