| 1 | 1 | | By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 1856 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a firearms policy for campus peace officers |
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| 7 | 7 | | commissioned by a public institution of higher education. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 51.2031 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 51.2031. FIREARMS POLICY. (a) In this section, |
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| 12 | 12 | | "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 13 | 13 | | Section 61.003. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a |
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| 15 | 15 | | policy regarding the use of firearms by a campus peace officer |
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| 16 | 16 | | commissioned by the institution under Section 51.203. The policy |
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| 17 | 17 | | must prohibit a campus peace officer from drawing a firearm in an |
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| 18 | 18 | | interaction with a member of the public unless the officer |
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| 19 | 19 | | physically sees that another weapon, other than a weapon carried by |
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| 20 | 20 | | a peace officer, is present during the interaction. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 22 | 22 | | of this Act, each public institution of higher education shall |
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| 23 | 23 | | adopt the firearms policy required under Section 51.2031, Education |
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| 24 | 24 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 26 | 26 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 27 | 27 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 28 | 28 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 29 | 29 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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