Bill Text: TX HB981 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the carrying of handguns by and an exemption from application of the Private Security Act of certain persons who provide security services on a volunteer basis at an established place of religious worship.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 15)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-04 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB981 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB981-Comm_Sub.html
| 85R1741 ADM-D | ||
| By: Wray, Price, Burns, Phelan, et al. | H.B. No. 981 | |
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| relating to the carrying of handguns by and an exemption from | ||
| application of the Private Security Act of certain persons who | ||
| provide security services on a volunteer basis at an established | ||
| place of religious worship. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter N, Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 1702.333 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 1702.333. PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP; CERTAIN | ||
| VOLUNTEERS. (a) This chapter does not apply to a person who | ||
| complies with Subsection (b) and who is approved by the leadership | ||
| of a church, synagogue, or other established place of religious | ||
| worship to provide security services on the premises of the place of | ||
| religious worship as a member of a volunteer safety group. | ||
| (b) While serving as a member of a volunteer safety group, a | ||
| person may not: | ||
| (1) wear a uniform, badge, patch, or other item that | ||
| would give the member the appearance of being a peace officer, | ||
| personal protection officer, or security officer; or | ||
| (2) carry an object displaying a word or phrase, | ||
| including the word "security," that would give the person the | ||
| appearance of being a peace officer, personal protection officer, | ||
| or security officer. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 411.2035 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 411.2035. CARRYING OF HANDGUNS ON PREMISES OF PLACE OF | ||
| RELIGIOUS WORSHIP. (a) This section applies only to a person who | ||
| is providing security services to a church, synagogue, or other | ||
| established place of religious worship as a member of a volunteer | ||
| safety group of the place of religious worship as described by | ||
| Section 1702.333, Occupations Code. | ||
| (b) A person described by Subsection (a) who is licensed to | ||
| carry a handgun under this subchapter may carry a handgun on the | ||
| premises of the applicable place of religious worship only on | ||
| approval by the leadership of the place of religious worship. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 46.035(b), Penal Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (b) A license holder commits an offense if the license | ||
| holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun | ||
| under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, | ||
| regardless of whether the handgun is concealed or carried in a | ||
| shoulder or belt holster, on or about the license holder's person: | ||
| (1) on the premises of a business that has a permit or | ||
| license issued under Chapter 25, 28, 32, 69, or 74, Alcoholic | ||
| Beverage Code, if the business derives 51 percent or more of its | ||
| income from the sale or service of alcoholic beverages for | ||
| on-premises consumption, as determined by the Texas Alcoholic | ||
| Beverage Commission under Section 104.06, Alcoholic Beverage Code; | ||
| (2) on the premises where a high school, collegiate, | ||
| or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking | ||
| place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a | ||
| handgun is used in the event; | ||
| (3) on the premises of a correctional facility; | ||
| (4) on the premises of a hospital licensed under | ||
| Chapter 241, Health and Safety Code, or on the premises of a nursing | ||
| facility licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, unless | ||
| the license holder has written authorization of the hospital or | ||
| nursing facility administration, as appropriate; | ||
| (5) in an amusement park; or | ||
| (6) on the premises of a church, synagogue, or other | ||
| established place of religious worship, unless: | ||
| (A) the license holder is providing security | ||
| services to a church, synagogue, or other established place of | ||
| religious worship as a member of a volunteer safety group of the | ||
| place of religious worship as described by Section 1702.333, | ||
| Occupations Code; and | ||
| (B) the leadership of the place of religious | ||
| worship has approved the carrying of the handgun by the license | ||
| holder. | ||
| SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act to Section | ||
| 46.035, Penal Code, 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, 2017. | ||
