|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the carrying of handguns on the campuses of and certain |
|
other locations associated with institutions of higher education. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 411.2031(e), Government Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(e) An institution of higher education or [A] private or |
|
independent institution of higher education in this state, after |
|
consulting with students, staff, and faculty of the institution, |
|
may establish rules, regulations, or other provisions prohibiting |
|
license holders from carrying handguns on the campus of the |
|
institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored |
|
by the institution is being conducted, or a passenger |
|
transportation vehicle owned by the institution. |
|
SECTION 2. Sections 411.208(a), (b), and (d), Government |
|
Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) A court may not hold the state, an agency or subdivision |
|
of the state, an officer or employee of the state, an institution of |
|
higher education [, an officer] or [employee of an institution of
|
|
higher education, a] private or independent institution of higher |
|
education that has not adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), an |
|
officer or employee of an institution of higher education or [a] |
|
private or independent institution of higher education that has not |
|
adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), a peace officer, or a |
|
qualified handgun instructor liable for damages caused by: |
|
(1) an action authorized under this subchapter or a |
|
failure to perform a duty imposed by this subchapter; or |
|
(2) the actions of an applicant or license holder that |
|
occur after the applicant has received a license or been denied a |
|
license under this subchapter. |
|
(b) A cause of action in damages may not be brought against |
|
the state, an agency or subdivision of the state, an officer or |
|
employee of the state, an institution of higher education[, an
|
|
officer] or [employee of an institution of higher education, a] |
|
private or independent institution of higher education that has not |
|
adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), an officer or employee of |
|
an institution of higher education or [a] private or independent |
|
institution of higher education that has not adopted rules under |
|
Section 411.2031(e), a peace officer, or a qualified handgun |
|
instructor for any damage caused by the actions of an applicant or |
|
license holder under this subchapter. |
|
(d) The immunities granted under Subsections (a), (b), and |
|
(c) do not apply to: |
|
(1) an act or a failure to act by the state, an agency |
|
or subdivision of the state, an officer of the state, an institution |
|
of higher education[, an officer] or [employee of an institution of
|
|
higher education, a] private or independent institution of higher |
|
education that has not adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), an |
|
officer or employee of an institution of higher education or [a] |
|
private or independent institution of higher education that has not |
|
adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), or a peace officer if the |
|
act or failure to act was capricious or arbitrary; or |
|
(2) any officer or employee of an institution of |
|
higher education or private or independent institution of higher |
|
education described by Subdivision (1) who possesses a handgun on |
|
the campus of that institution and whose conduct with regard to the |
|
handgun is made the basis of a claim for personal injury or property |
|
damage. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 46.035(a-2), Penal Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(a-2) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or Section 46.03(a), a |
|
license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a |
|
handgun on the campus of an institution of higher education or [a] |
|
private or independent institution of higher education in this |
|
state that has established rules, regulations, or other provisions |
|
prohibiting license holders from carrying handguns pursuant to |
|
Section 411.2031(e), Government Code, or on the grounds or building |
|
on which an activity sponsored by such an institution is being |
|
conducted, or in a passenger transportation vehicle of such an |
|
institution, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, |
|
provided the institution gives effective notice under Section |
|
30.06. |
|
SECTION 4. Section 46.035(g), Penal Code, as amended by |
|
Chapters 437 (H.B. 910) and 438 (S.B. 11), Acts of the 84th |
|
Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, is reenacted and amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(g) An offense under this section [(a-1), (a-2), (a-3),] is |
|
a Class A misdemeanor, unless the offense is committed under |
|
Subsection (b)(1) or (b)(3), in which event the offense is a felony |
|
of the third degree. |
|
SECTION 5. Sections 46.035(h) and (j), Penal Code, as |
|
amended by Chapters 437 (H.B. 910) and 438 (S.B. 11), Acts of the |
|
84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, are reenacted and amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(h) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a), |
|
(a-1), or (a-2)[, or (a-3)] that the actor, at the time of the |
|
commission of the offense, displayed the handgun under |
|
circumstances in which the actor would have been justified in the |
|
use of force or deadly force under Chapter 9. |
|
(j) Subsections (a), (a-1), (a-2), [(a-3),] and (b)(1) do |
|
not apply to a historical reenactment performed in compliance with |
|
the rules of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. |
|
SECTION 6. The following laws are repealed: |
|
(1) Sections 411.2031(c), (d-1), (d-2), (d-3), and |
|
(d-4), Government Code; and |
|
(2) Section 46.035(a-3), Penal Code. |
|
SECTION 7. Section 411.208, Government Code, as amended by |
|
this Act, applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after |
|
the effective date of this Act. A cause of action that accrues |
|
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
|
effect immediately before that date, and that law is continued in |
|
effect for that purpose. |
|
SECTION 8. 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 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |