By Farrar                                       H.B. No. 2282

      75R1246 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the creation of the offense of failing to report the

 1-3     loss or theft of a firearm.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 46, Penal Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Section 46.14 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 46.14.  FAILURE TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN FIREARM.  (a)

 1-8     A person commits an offense if the person owns a firearm that is

 1-9     subsequently stolen from the person or lost by the person unless

1-10     the person, not later than the 10th day after the date on which the

1-11     person realizes that the firearm has been lost or stolen, reports

1-12     the loss or theft to the sheriff of the county in which the person

1-13     reasonably believes the firearm was lost or stolen.

1-14           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

1-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.