| TO: | Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3219 by Springer (Relating to the places where an elected official who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun may carry a concealed handgun.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Penal Code to exempt elected officials from the offenses of unlawful carrying of a handgun by a license holder, carrying a weapon in places that are prohibited, and unlawfully carrying a weapon. Under current law those offenses are punishable by a Class A misdemeanor or a third degree felony, depending upon the circumstances. The bill also amends the Government Code to require the Department of Public Safety to establish a license for an elected official to carry a concealed handgun.
The bill creates an exception to the prosecution for three offenses. Creating an exception to the prosecution for offenses 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. It is assumed the costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | UP, ESi, GG, JPo, KKR
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