By Galloway                                            S.B. No. 613
       74R4541 PEP-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the offense of unlawful carrying of a handgun.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 46.02, Penal Code, is amended by adding
    1-5  Subsection (g) to read as follows:
    1-6        (g)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section for
    1-7  the offense of carrying a handgun that the actor, at the time of
    1-8  the commission of the offense:
    1-9              (1)  had previously not been convicted of a felony; and
   1-10              (2)  was carrying the handgun in a motor vehicle owned
   1-11  or operated by the actor or was immediately en route between the
   1-12  motor vehicle and another place where a handgun may be lawfully
   1-13  carried.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   1-15  only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
   1-16  Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
   1-17  the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
   1-18  before that date.
   1-19        (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
   1-20  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
   1-21  and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
   1-22        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-23        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.