| TO: | Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee On Homeland Security & Public Safety |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1531 by King, Ken (Relating to the application of certain weapons laws to certain emergency services personnel licensed to carry a concealed handgun.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Penal Code to allow emergency services personnel providing services in a county with a population of 50,000 or less to carry a concealed handgun. The bill creates an exception for the affected emergency services personnel for the offenses of unlawful carrying of a handgun by a license holder, trespassing by someone with a license to carry a concealed handgun, unlawful carrying a weapon, and carrying a weapon in places that are prohibited. These offenses are punishable by a Class A misdemeanor or a third degree felony, depending on the circumstances.
Creating an exception for any criminal offense is expected to decrease demands on state and/or county correctional agency resources due to fewer persons on community supervision, in county jail confinement, state correctional institution confinement, and/or parole. However, in the case of this bill, it is assumed that any reduction in the number of offenders supervised or incarcerated under this statute would not significantly impact state correctional agencies’ workload and programs.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | UP, ESi, GG, JPo, KKR
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