By Jones of Dallas H.B. No. 885
77R2740 JAT-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the offense of unlawfully carrying a handgun by a
1-3 license holder on the premises of certain places of religious
1-4 worship.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 46.035(f)(3), Penal Code, is amended to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 (3) "Premises" means a building or a portion of a
1-9 building, including a building or a portion of a building that is
1-10 part of an established place of religious worship. The term does
1-11 not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or
1-12 walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.
1-13 SECTION 2. Section 46.035(i), Penal Code, is amended to read
1-14 as follows:
1-15 (i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), [(b)(6),] and (c) do not
1-16 apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section
1-17 30.06. Subsection (b)(6) does not apply if a majority of the
1-18 members of the church, synagogue, or other established place of
1-19 religious worship:
1-20 (1) decides not to apply the subdivision to members of
1-21 the congregation of the place of religious worship; and
1-22 (2) provides notice of that decision to members of the
1-23 congregation and to any new members as those members join the
1-24 congregation.
2-1 SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-2 to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
2-3 An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
2-4 covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
2-5 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
2-6 purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
2-7 effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
2-8 before that date.
2-9 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.