AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Interested parties contend that hotels and lodging businesses may be confusing concealed handgun license holders and gun owners by not disclosing a gun policy in the business transaction's terms or conditions.

 

H.B. 333 seeks to address this issue by requiring a hotel to make its policy more visible to hotel guests.

 

H.B. 333 amends current law relating to requiring notice of a hotel's firearms policy and other guest policies and provides a criminal penalty.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 2155, Occupations Code, by adding Subchapter C, as follows:

 

SUBCHAPTER C.  FIREARMS POLICY NOTICE

 

Sec. 2155.101.  DEFINITION. Defines, in this subchapter, "hotel."

 

Sec. 2155.102. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. Provides that this subchapter applies only to a hotel that has a policy prohibiting or restricting the possession, storage, or transportation of firearms by hotel guests.

 

Sec. 2155.103.  NOTICE REGARDING FIREARMS POLICY.  (a) Requires a hotel to include on the hotel's Internet reservation website the hotel's policy regarding the possession, storage, and transportation of firearms.

 

(b) Requires the hotel, if a hotel provides a written confirmation or a written statement of terms and conditions to a consumer after accepting the consumer's hotel reservation by telephone, to include information specifying how the consumer is authorized to review applicable guest policies.  Requires that the guest policies indicate the hotel's policy regarding the possession, storage, and transportation of firearms by guests.

 

(c) Provides that a hotel owner or keeper commits an offense if the person does not comply with this section.  Provides that an offense under this subsection is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.