BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 14

By: Murr

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that state hospitals should have the same authority as other types of hospitals to prohibit a handgun license holder from carrying a handgun on hospital property. H.B. 14 seeks to provide this authority.

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

H.B. 14 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a state hospital to prohibit a handgun license holder from carrying a handgun on the property of the hospital by providing written notice that such a license holder may not enter the property with a handgun. The bill specifies the facilities considered a state hospital for purposes of that authorization and sets out requirements relating to the notice. The bill makes a handgun license holder who carries a handgun on the property of a state hospital at which written notice is provided liable for a civil penalty of $100 for the first violation and $500 for the second or subsequent violation and authorizes the attorney general or an appropriate prosecuting attorney to sue to collect such a penalty.

H.B. 14 amends the Government Code to make statutory provisions relating to wrongful exclusion of a handgun license holder inapplicable to a written notice provided by a state hospital under the bill's provisions.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.