BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 905

By: Frullo

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties have expressed concern that municipal knife ordinances throughout Texas have created a confusing patchwork of laws that dramatically differ from one locality to the next. These parties assert that this creates a situation in which the laws are difficult to enforce and confusing for Texas citizens to follow. C.S.H.B. 905 seeks to address the municipal regulation of knives and eliminate confusion over knife ordinances. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 905 amends the Local Government Code to prohibit a municipality or county from adopting regulations relating to the transfer, private ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing, or registration of knives. The bill prohibits a municipality or county from enforcing a regulation adopted by the municipality or county before the bill's effective date that relates to knives if the adoption of the regulation would be prohibited under the bill's provisions. The bill requires a court in which a proceeding is pending for a violation of such a regulation to dismiss the proceeding.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 905 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.