BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3706

By: Dean

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the fact that the streamlined handgun license application process and application fee waivers and reductions made available for active and retired peace officers have not been made available to active and retired railroad peace officers and special rangers of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. C.S.H.B. 3706 seeks to extend these benefits to those officers, both active and honorably retired.

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. 3706 amends the Government Code to include railroad peace officers and special rangers of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association who hold a certificate of authority issued by the public safety director and a peace officer license issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement among the peace officers who may apply for a license to carry a handgun while employed as such a respective peace officer and at any time after retirement.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3706 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not include new statutory sections but rather incorporates and conforms the bill's provisions into existing statutes and makes certain technical changes and corrections.