By Danburg H.B. No. 1981
75R6980 PEP-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the punishment prescribed for unlawful carrying of a
1-3 handgun.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 46.02(a), (e), and (f) are amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally,
1-8 knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his person:
1-9 (1) a handgun;
1-10 (2) an [,] illegal knife; [,] or
1-11 (3) a club.
1-12 (e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), an offense under
1-13 Subsection (a)(1) [this section] is a felony of the third degree
1-14 and an offense under Subsection (a)(2) or (a)(3) is a Class A
1-15 misdemeanor.
1-16 (f) An offense under Subsection (a)(1) [this section] is a
1-17 felony of the second degree and an offense under Subsection (a)(2)
1-18 or (a)(3) is a felony of the third degree if the offense is
1-19 committed on any premises licensed or issued a permit by this state
1-20 for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
1-21 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. The
1-22 change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed
1-23 on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed
1-24 before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in
2-1 effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is
2-2 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this
2-3 section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this
2-4 Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
2-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.