The provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions are the subject of this analysis.  The bill would amend the Penal Code to expand the defense to prosecution for possession of a weapon in prohibited places under certain circumstances for licensed county officers and employees. Under current law possession of a weapon in a prohibited place is a third degree felony. 

A third degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term of two to ten years and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.

Allowing for a defense to prosecution for a criminal offense is expected to decrease correctional supervision and/or incarceration populations and thereby decrease demands on county and/or state correctional resources. In fiscal year 2014, 581 people were arrested, 30 were placed under felony community supervision, and 10 were admitted to state correctional institutions for possession of a weapon in a prohibited place. A statewide repository containing the level of detail necessary to isolate those county officers and employees who held concealed handgun licenses and possessed concealed handguns at the time of the offense from all other individuals arrested and convicted under the statute referenced by the bill is not currently available. This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not significantly impact state correctional populations, programs, or workloads.