| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the carrying of concealed handguns by certain county |
|
|
officers and employees in a courthouse. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 46.03, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Subsection (b-1) and amending Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
|
|
(b-1) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(3) |
|
|
that the actor was: |
|
|
(1) a county officer who possessed or carried a |
|
|
concealed handgun that the person was licensed to carry under |
|
|
Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code; or |
|
|
(2) a county employee who: |
|
|
(A) possessed or carried a concealed handgun that |
|
|
the person was licensed to carry under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, |
|
|
Government Code; and |
|
|
(B) received express permission to possess or |
|
|
carry the handgun from: |
|
|
(i) the commissioners court of the county |
|
|
that employed the person; and |
|
|
(ii) the county officer or department head |
|
|
who directly supervised the person. |
|
|
(c) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "County employee" has the meaning assigned by |
|
|
Section 155.041, Local Government Code. |
|
|
(2) "County officer" means a county judge, county |
|
|
commissioner, county attorney, justice of the peace, sheriff, |
|
|
county tax assessor-collector, county clerk, district clerk, |
|
|
county treasurer, county auditor, county purchasing agent, or |
|
|
constable. |
|
|
(3) "Premises" has the meaning assigned by Section |
|
|
46.035. |
|
|
(4) [(2)] "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. |
|
|
SECTION 2. 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |