SRC-CDH S.B. 548 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 548 By: Shapiro Criminal Justice 4-22-97 Committee Report (Amended) DIGEST Currently, the unlawful transfer of certain weapons to children younger than 18 years of age is a Class A misdemeanor. This legislation makes the offense a state jail felony if the weapon that is the subject of the offense is a handgun, in an attempt to deter juvenile crime. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 548 establishes the punishment for the offense of unlawfully transferring a handgun to a child younger than 18 years of age. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 46.06(d), Penal Code, to provide that an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that an offense under Subsection (a)(2), the offense of intentionally or knowingly selling, renting, leasing, or giving or offering to rent, lease, or give a handgun to any child younger than 18 years of age, is a state jail felony. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES Amendment 1. Page 1, lines 8-9, strike "felony of the third degree" and insert "state jail felony," to amend the punishment for the offense of unlawfully transferring a weapon.