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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the carrying of concealed handguns by handgun license |
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holders on the campus of a school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 37.0818 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.0818. CARRYING OF HANDGUNS BY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. |
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(a) For purposes of this section, "premises" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 46.035, Penal Code. |
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(b) Except as provided by Sections 37.0811(c) and (d), the |
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board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an |
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open-enrollment charter school may not adopt any rule, regulation, |
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or other provision prohibiting or restricting a district or school |
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employee, while performing job duties on the premises of a district |
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or school, from carrying in a concealed manner a handgun that the |
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person is licensed to carry under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, |
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Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 411.2032(a), Government Code, is amended |
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by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as |
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follows: |
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(1) "Campus" means all land and buildings owned or |
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leased by a school district, open-enrollment charter school, [an] |
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institution of higher education, or private or independent |
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institution of higher education. |
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(3) "Open-enrollment charter school" and "school |
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district" have the meanings assigned by Section 411.2033. |
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SECTION 3. Section 411.2032(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) A school district, open-enrollment charter school, [An] |
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institution of higher education, or private or independent |
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institution of higher education in this state may not adopt or |
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enforce any rule, regulation, or other provision or take any other |
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action, including posting notice under Section 30.06 or 30.07, |
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Penal Code, prohibiting or placing restrictions on the storage or |
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transportation of a firearm or ammunition in a locked, privately |
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owned or leased motor vehicle by a person, including a student or |
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employee [enrolled at that institution], who holds a license to |
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carry a handgun under this subchapter and lawfully possesses the |
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firearm or ammunition: |
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(1) on a street or driveway located on the campus of |
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the district, school, or institution; or |
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(2) in a parking lot, parking garage, or other parking |
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area located on the campus of the district, school, or institution. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 411.2033 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.2033. CARRYING OF HANDGUNS BY LICENSE HOLDERS ON |
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PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUSES. (a) For purposes of this section: |
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(1) "Campus" means all land and buildings owned or |
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leased by a school district or open-enrollment charter school. |
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(2) "Open-enrollment charter school" means a school |
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that has been granted a charter under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, |
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Education Code. |
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(3) "School district" means any public school district |
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in this state. |
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(b) A license holder may carry a concealed handgun on or |
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about the license holder's person while the license holder is on the |
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campus of a school district or open-enrollment charter school in |
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this state. |
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(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school in |
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this state may not adopt any rule, regulation, or other provision |
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prohibiting license holders from carrying handguns on a campus of |
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the district or school. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 411.208(a), (b), and (d), Government |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A court may not hold the state, an agency or subdivision |
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of the state, an officer or employee of the state, a school district |
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or open-enrollment charter school, an officer or employee of a |
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school district or open-enrollment charter school, an institution |
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of higher education, an officer or employee of an institution of |
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higher education, a private or independent institution of higher |
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education that has not adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), an |
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officer or employee of a private or independent institution of |
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higher education that has not adopted rules under Section |
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411.2031(e), a peace officer, a qualified handgun instructor, or an |
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approved online course provider liable for damages caused by: |
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(1) an action authorized under this subchapter or a |
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failure to perform a duty imposed by this subchapter; or |
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(2) the actions of an applicant or license holder that |
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occur after the applicant has received a license or been denied a |
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license under this subchapter. |
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(b) A cause of action in damages may not be brought against |
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the state, an agency or subdivision of the state, an officer or |
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employee of the state, a school district or open-enrollment charter |
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school, an officer or employee of a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school, an institution of higher |
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education, an officer or employee of an institution of higher |
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education, a private or independent institution of higher education |
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that has not adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), an officer or |
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employee of a private or independent institution of higher |
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education that has not adopted rules under Section 411.2031(e), a |
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peace officer, a qualified handgun instructor, or an approved |
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online course provider for any damage caused by the actions of an |
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applicant or license holder under this subchapter. |
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(d) The immunities granted under Subsections (a), (b), and |
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(c) do not apply to: |
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(1) an act or a failure to act by the state, an agency |
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or subdivision of the state, an officer of the state, a school |
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district or open-enrollment charter school, an officer or employee |
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of a school district or open-enrollment charter school, an |
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institution of higher education, an officer or employee of an |
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institution of higher education, a private or independent |
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institution of higher education that has not adopted rules under |
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Section 411.2031(e), an officer or employee of a private or |
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independent institution of higher education that has not adopted |
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rules under Section 411.2031(e), or a peace officer if the act or |
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failure to act was capricious or arbitrary; or |
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(2) any officer or employee of a school district, |
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open-enrollment charter school, [an] institution of higher |
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education, or private or independent institution of higher |
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education described by Subdivision (1) who possesses a handgun on |
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the campus of that district, school, or institution and whose |
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conduct with regard to the handgun is made the basis of a claim for |
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personal injury or property damage. |
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SECTION 6. Section 411.208(f), Government Code, is amended |
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by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as |
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follows: |
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(1) "Campus" means all land and buildings owned or |
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leased by a school district, open-enrollment charter school, |
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institution of higher education, or private or independent |
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institution of higher education [has the meaning assigned by
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Section 411.2031]. |
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(3) "Open-enrollment charter school" and "school |
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district" have the meanings assigned by Section 411.2033. |
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SECTION 7. Section 46.03(a), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, |
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knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, |
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location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in |
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Section 46.05(a): |
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(1) on the physical premises of a school or |
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educational institution, any grounds or building on which an |
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activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being |
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conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or |
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educational institution, whether the school or educational |
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institution is public or private, unless: |
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(A) pursuant to written regulations or written |
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authorization of the institution; or |
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(B) the person possesses or goes with a concealed |
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handgun that the person is licensed to carry under Subchapter H, |
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Chapter 411, Government Code, and no other weapon to which this |
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section applies, on the premises of a school district, |
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open-enrollment charter school, [an] institution of higher |
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education, or private or independent institution of higher |
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education, on any grounds or building on which an activity |
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sponsored by the district, school, or institution is being |
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conducted, or in a passenger transportation vehicle of the |
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institution; |
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(2) on the premises of a polling place on the day of an |
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election or while early voting is in progress; |
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(3) on the premises of any government court or offices |
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utilized by the court, unless pursuant to written regulations or |
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written authorization of the court; |
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(4) on the premises of a racetrack; |
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(5) in or into a secured area of an airport; or |
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(6) within 1,000 feet of premises the location of |
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which is designated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a |
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place of execution under Article 43.19, Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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on a day that a sentence of death is set to be imposed on the |
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designated premises and the person received notice that: |
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(A) going within 1,000 feet of the premises with |
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a weapon listed under this subsection was prohibited; or |
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(B) possessing a weapon listed under this |
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subsection within 1,000 feet of the premises was prohibited. |
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SECTION 8. Section 46.03(c), Penal Code, is amended by |
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adding Subdivisions (4) and (5) to read as follows: |
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(4) "Open-enrollment charter school" means a school |
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that has been granted a charter under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, |
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Education Code. |
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(5) "School district" means any public school district |
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in this state. |
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SECTION 9. Section 46.035(a-1), Penal Code, as added by |
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Chapter 438 (S.B. 11), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2015, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a license holder |
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commits an offense if the license holder carries a partially or |
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wholly visible handgun, regardless of whether the handgun is |
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holstered, on or about the license holder's person under the |
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authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and |
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intentionally or knowingly displays the handgun in plain view of |
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another person: |
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(1) on the premises of a school district, |
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open-enrollment charter school, [an] institution of higher |
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education, or private or independent institution of higher |
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education; or |
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(2) on any public or private driveway, street, |
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sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking |
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area of a school district, open-enrollment charter school, [an] |
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institution of higher education, or private or independent |
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institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 10. Section 46.035(f), Penal Code, is amended by |
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adding Subdivisions (2-a) and (4) to read as follows: |
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(2-a) "Open-enrollment charter school" means a school |
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that has been granted a charter under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, |
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Education Code. |
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(4) "School district" means any public school district |
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in this state. |
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SECTION 11. The following provisions are repealed: |
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(1) Section 37.0815, Education Code; and |
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(2) Section 46.035(a-1), Penal Code, as added by |
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Chapter 437 (H.B. 910), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2015. |
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SECTION 12. Section 411.208, Government Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. A cause of action that accrues |
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before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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effect immediately before that date, and that law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 13. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 14. This Act takes effect August 1, 2020. |