| 1 | 1 | | 87S20704 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Patterson H.B. No. 156 |
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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 applicability to election judges of a prohibition |
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| 8 | 8 | | on the carrying of a handgun at a polling place. |
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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 46.15, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subsection (s) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (s) Section 46.03(a)(2) does not apply to a person who |
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| 13 | 13 | | carries a handgun if the person: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, |
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| 15 | 15 | | Chapter 411, Government Code; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) is engaged in the performance of the person's |
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| 17 | 17 | | duties as a presiding judge or alternate presiding judge under |
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| 18 | 18 | | Chapter 32, Election Code: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) while early voting is in progress; or |
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| 20 | 20 | | (B) on the day of an election. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 22 | 22 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 23 | 23 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 24 | 24 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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| 25 | 25 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 26 | 26 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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| 27 | 27 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was |
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| 28 | 28 | | committed before that date. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2022. |
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