By: Hayes H.B. No. 4336
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prohibition of a person who is the subject of a
family violence protective order or arrested for or charged with an
offense involving family violence to surrender firearms owned by
the person.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 85.022(b), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) In a protective order, the court may prohibit the person
found to have committed family violence from:
(1) committing family violence;
(2) communicating:
(A) directly with a person protected by an order
or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an
order, in a threatening or harassing manner;
(B) a threat through any person to a person
protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a
person protected by an order; and
(C) if the court finds good cause, in any manner
with a person protected by an order or a member of the family or
household of a person protected by an order, except through the
party's attorney or a person appointed by the court;
(3) going to or near the residence or place of
employment or business of a person protected by an order or a member
of the family or household of a person protected by an order;
(4) going to or near the residence, child-care
facility, or school a child protected under the order normally
attends or in which the child normally resides;
(5) engaging in conduct directed specifically toward a
person who is a person protected by an order or a member of the
family or household of a person protected by an order, including
following the person, that is reasonably likely to harass, annoy,
alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass the person; and
(6) possessing a firearm, unless the person is a peace
officer, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, actively engaged
in employment as a sworn, full-time paid employee of a state agency
or political subdivision; and
(7)(6) harming, threatening, or interfering with the
care, custody, or control of a pet, companion animal, or assistance
animal, as defined by Section 121.002, Human Resources Code, that
is possessed by or is in the actual or constructive care of a person
protected by an order or by a member of the family or household of a
person protected by an order.
SECTION 2. Section 85.022 (d), Family Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 85.026 (a), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Each protective order issued under this subtitle,
including a temporary ex parte order, must contain the following
prominently displayed statements in boldfaced type, capital
letters, or underlined:
"A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS ORDER MAY BE PUNISHED FOR
CONTEMPT OF COURT BY A FINE OF AS MUCH AS $500 OR BY CONFINEMENT IN
JAIL FOR AS LONG AS SIX MONTHS, OR BOTH."
"NO PERSON, INCLUDING A PERSON WHO IS PROTECTED BY THIS
ORDER, MAY GIVE PERMISSION TO ANYONE TO IGNORE OR VIOLATE ANY
PROVISION OF THIS ORDER. DURING THE TIME IN WHICH THIS ORDER IS
VALID, EVERY PROVISION OF THIS ORDER IS IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT
UNLESS A COURT CHANGES THE ORDER."
"IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON, OTHER THAN A PEACE OFFICER, AS
DEFINED BY SECTION 1.07, PENAL CODE, ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN EMPLOYMENT
AS A SWORN, FULL-TIME PAID EMPLOYEE OF A STATE AGENCY OR POLITICAL
SUBDIVISION, WHO IS SUBJECT TO A PROTECTIVE ORDER TO POSSESS A
FIREARM OR AMMUNITION."
"IF A PERSON SUBJECT TO A PROTECTIVE ORDER IS RELEASED FROM
CONFINEMENT OR IMPRISONMENT FOLLOWING THE DATE THE ORDER WOULD HAVE
EXPIRED, OR IF THE ORDER WOULD HAVE EXPIRED NOT LATER THAN THE FIRST
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE THE PERSON IS RELEASED FROM CONFINEMENT OR
IMPRISONMENT, THE ORDER IS AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED TO EXPIRE ON:
"(1) THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE THE PERSON IS
RELEASED, IF THE PERSON WAS SENTENCED TO CONFINEMENT OR
IMPRISONMENT FOR A TERM OF MORE THAN FIVE YEARS; OR
"(2) THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE THE PERSON IS
RELEASED, IF THE PERSON WAS SENTENCED TO CONFINEMENT OR
IMPRISONMENT FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS OR LESS."
"A VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER BY COMMISSION OF AN ACT PROHIBITED
BY THE ORDER MAY BE PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF AS MUCH AS $4,000 OR BY
CONFINEMENT IN JAIL FOR AS LONG AS ONE YEAR, OR BOTH. AN ACT THAT
RESULTS IN FAMILY VIOLENCE MAY BE PROSECUTED AS A SEPARATE
MISDEMEANOR OR FELONY OFFENSE. IF THE ACT IS PROSECUTED AS A
SEPARATE FELONY OFFENSE, IT IS PUNISHABLE BY CONFINEMENT IN PRISON
FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS."
SECTION 4. 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.