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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to reporting the loss or theft of a firearm; creating a |
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criminal offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Article 42.0184 to read as follows: |
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Art. 42.0184. NOTICE OF FAILURE TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN |
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FIREARM. Not later than the fifth day after the date a person is |
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convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community |
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supervision for an offense under Section 46.135, Penal Code, the |
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clerk of the court in which the judgment of conviction or order of |
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deferred adjudication community supervision is entered shall |
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provide to the Department of Public Safety written notice of the |
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conviction or deferred adjudication, including the following |
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information as established by the record in the case: |
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(1) the name of the defendant and any available |
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information about the firearm that was lost or stolen; |
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(2) the date that the defendant became aware the |
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firearm was lost or stolen; and |
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(3) the date by which the defendant should have |
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reported the loss or theft to a peace officer or law enforcement |
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agency. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 411.055 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.055. REPORT TO DEPARTMENT OF LOST OR STOLEN |
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FIREARM. (a) A peace officer who receives a report from the owner |
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of a firearm or the owner's agent that the firearm was lost or |
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stolen shall report the loss or theft to the department. The report |
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must include the following information: |
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(1) the name of the owner and any available |
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information about the firearm; and |
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(2) the date that the owner became aware the firearm |
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was lost or stolen. |
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(b) The department shall maintain a report received under |
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Subsection (a) or notice received under Article 42.0184, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, until the fifth anniversary of the date that |
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the owner whose firearm is the subject of the report became aware |
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the firearm was lost or stolen. |
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SECTION 3. Section 411.172(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) A person is eligible for a license to carry a handgun if |
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the person: |
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(1) is a legal resident of this state for the six-month |
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period preceding the date of application under this subchapter or |
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is otherwise eligible for a license under Section 411.173(a); |
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(2) is at least 21 years of age; |
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(3) has not been convicted of a felony; |
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(4) is not charged with the commission of a Class A or |
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Class B misdemeanor or equivalent offense, or of an offense under |
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Section 42.01, Penal Code, or equivalent offense, or of a felony |
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under an information or indictment; |
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(5) is not a fugitive from justice for a felony or a |
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Class A or Class B misdemeanor or equivalent offense; |
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(6) is not a chemically dependent person; |
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(7) is not incapable of exercising sound judgment with |
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respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun; |
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(8) has not, in the five years preceding the date of |
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application, been convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or |
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equivalent offense, [or] of an offense under Section 42.01, Penal |
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Code, or equivalent offense, or of an offense under Section 46.135, |
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Penal Code; |
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(9) is fully qualified under applicable federal and |
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state law to purchase a handgun; |
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(10) has not been finally determined to be delinquent |
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in making a child support payment administered or collected by the |
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attorney general; |
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(11) has not been finally determined to be delinquent |
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in the payment of a tax or other money collected by the comptroller, |
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the tax collector of a political subdivision of the state, or any |
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agency or subdivision of the state; |
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(12) is not currently restricted under a court |
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protective order or subject to a restraining order affecting the |
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spousal relationship, other than a restraining order solely |
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affecting property interests; |
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(13) has not, in the 10 years preceding the date of |
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application, been adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent |
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conduct violating a penal law of the grade of felony; and |
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(14) has not made any material misrepresentation, or |
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failed to disclose any material fact, in an application submitted |
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pursuant to Section 411.174. |
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SECTION 4. Section 411.176(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) On receipt of application materials by the department at |
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its Austin headquarters, the department shall conduct the |
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appropriate criminal history record check of the applicant through |
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its computerized criminal history system and shall review any |
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records received under Article 42.0184, Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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that concern the applicant. Not later than the 30th day after the |
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date the department receives the application materials, the |
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department shall forward the materials to the director's designee |
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in the geographical area of the applicant's residence so that the |
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designee may conduct the investigation described by Subsection (b). |
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For purposes of this section, the director's designee may be a |
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noncommissioned employee of the department. |
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SECTION 5. Section 411.186(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The department shall revoke a license under this section |
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if the license holder: |
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(1) was not entitled to the license at the time it was |
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issued; |
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(2) made a material misrepresentation or failed to |
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disclose a material fact in an application submitted under this |
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subchapter; |
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(3) subsequently becomes ineligible for a license |
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under Section 411.172, unless the sole basis for the ineligibility |
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is that the license holder is charged with the commission of a Class |
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A or Class B misdemeanor or equivalent offense, or of an offense |
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under Section 42.01, Penal Code, or equivalent offense, or of a |
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felony under an information or indictment; |
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(4) is convicted of an offense under Section 46.035 or |
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46.135, Penal Code; |
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(5) is determined by the department to have engaged in |
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conduct constituting a reason to suspend a license listed in |
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Section 411.187(a) after the person's license has been previously |
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suspended twice for the same reason; or |
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(6) submits an application fee that is dishonored or |
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reversed if the applicant fails to submit a cashier's check or money |
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order made payable to the "Department of Public Safety of the State |
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of Texas" in the amount of the dishonored or reversed fee, plus $25, |
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within 30 days of being notified by the department that the fee was |
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dishonored or reversed. |
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SECTION 6. Chapter 46, Penal Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 46.135 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 46.135. FAILURE TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN FIREARM. (a) |
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A person commits an offense if the person: |
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(1) owns a firearm that is subsequently lost by or |
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stolen from the person; and |
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(2) fails to report the loss or theft, or cause a |
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report of the loss or theft to be made, to a peace officer or law |
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enforcement agency on or before the fifth day after the date the |
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person became aware the firearm was lost or stolen. |
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(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. |
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(c) If conduct constituting an offense under this section |
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also constitutes an offense under another section of this code, the |
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actor may be prosecuted under either section or under both |
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sections. |
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SECTION 7. Sections 411.172(a)(8) and 411.186(a)(4), |
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Government Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 46.135, Penal |
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Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a firearm that is lost or |
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stolen on or after the effective date of this Act. A firearm that |
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was lost or stolen before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the firearm was lost or stolen, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |