By: Swanson, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hughes) H.B. No. 29
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
  May 6, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 12, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;
  May 12, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 29 By:  Hughes
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to authorizing the provision of temporary secure storage
  for weapons at certain public buildings; authorizing fees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 2165, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER J. TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC
  BUILDINGS
         Sec. 2165.451.  APPLICABILITY. (a) This subchapter applies
  to a building or portion of a building:
               (1)  that is:
                     (A)  used by an agency of this state; and
                     (B)  generally open to the public; and
               (2)  in which:
                     (A)  carrying a handgun or other firearm,
  location-restricted knife, club, or other weapon on the premises or
  part of the premises would violate Chapter 46, Penal Code, or other
  law; or
                     (B)  the state agency in control of the building,
  by sign or otherwise, prohibits handguns or other firearms,
  location-restricted knives, clubs, or other weapons on the premises
  or part of the premises.
         (b)  This subchapter does not apply to:
               (1)  a penal institution, as that term is defined by
  Section 1.07, Penal Code; or
               (2)  a public primary or secondary school or
  institution of higher education.
         Sec. 2165.452.  TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE. (a) A
  state agency may provide temporary secure weapon storage for a
  building or portion of a building to which this subchapter applies
  for persons who enter the building or portion of the building with a
  weapon prohibited in that building or portion of the building.
         (b)  The temporary secure weapon storage may be provided by:
               (1)  self-service weapon lockers described by Section
  2165.453; or
               (2)  other temporary secure weapon storage operated at
  all times by a designated state agency employee under Section
  2165.454.
         Sec. 2165.453.  SELF-SERVICE WEAPON LOCKERS FOR TEMPORARY
  SECURE STORAGE. (a) A state agency may provide self-service weapon
  lockers for the temporary secure storage of any weapon prohibited
  in a building or portion of a building.
         (b)  A self-service weapon locker must allow secure locking
  by the user and:
               (1)  provide a key for reopening; or
               (2)  reopen by electronic means, such as by a
  fingerprint scan or entry of a numeric code.
         (c)  A state agency may require a person to submit the
  person's name, the number of the person's driver's license or other
  form of identification, and the person's telephone number as a
  condition for use of a self-service weapon locker.
         (d)  A person placing a weapon in a self-service weapon
  locker may designate an alternate person to whom the weapon may be
  released if the person is not able to reclaim the person's weapon
  before the 30th day after the date the weapon was placed in the
  locker.
         Sec. 2165.454.  TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE
  ADMINISTERED BY AGENCY EMPLOYEE. (a) A state agency may provide
  temporary secure weapon storage operated by a designated agency
  employee for a building or portion of a building in which weapons
  are prohibited.
         (b)  The weapons in temporary secure weapon storage must be
  held in a safe, locker, or other location that is locked and
  accessible only to the designated employee.
         (c)  If a person chooses to give to the designated employee
  the person's weapon for temporary secure storage, the employee
  shall:
               (1)  securely affix a claim tag to the weapon;
               (2)  provide the person with a claim receipt for
  reclaiming the weapon;
               (3)  record the person's name, the number of the
  person's driver's license or other form of identification, and the
  person's telephone number; and
               (4)  if designated by the person placing the weapon in
  temporary secure weapon storage, record the name of an alternate
  person to whom the weapon may be released if the person is not able
  to reclaim the person's weapon before the 30th day after the date
  the weapon was placed in storage.
         (d)  A person may reclaim the person's weapon by showing the
  designated employee operating the temporary secure weapon storage:
               (1)  the claim receipt given to the person at the time
  the weapon was placed in temporary secure storage; or
               (2)  the person's driver's license or other form of
  identification.
         (e)  A state agency that provides temporary secure weapon
  storage under this section shall ensure that:
               (1)  the temporary secure weapon storage is available
  and monitored by a designated agency employee at all times that the
  building or portion of the building is open to the public; and
               (2)  a person who is choosing to place the weapon in
  storage or retrieving the weapon from storage is not required to
  wait more than a reasonable period.
         Sec. 2165.455.  FEES. A state agency under this subchapter
  may collect a fee for the use of a self-service weapon locker or
  other temporary secure weapon storage.
         Sec. 2165.456.  UNCLAIMED WEAPONS. (a) A weapon that is
  unclaimed at the end of a business day may be removed from the
  self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage and
  placed in another secure location.
         (b)  If practicable, the state agency shall notify the person
  who placed the weapon in a self-service weapon locker or other
  temporary secure storage that the weapon is in the custody of the
  state agency and is subject to forfeiture if not reclaimed before
  the 30th day after the date the weapon was placed in a self-service
  weapon locker or other temporary secure storage. If the person
  provided a telephone number when the weapon was placed in a
  self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage, the
  state agency shall notify the person by using that telephone
  number.
         (c)  At each location where a weapon may be placed in a
  self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage, the
  state agency shall post a sign that describes the process for
  reclaiming a weapon left in a self-service weapon locker or other
  temporary secure storage for more than one business day.
         (d)  The state agency may require identification or other
  evidence of ownership before returning the unclaimed weapon. On
  return of the weapon, the state agency may charge a fee for the
  extended storage of the weapon.
         (e)  If the weapon is not reclaimed before the 30th day after
  the date the weapon was placed in a self-service weapon locker or
  other temporary secure storage, the weapon is forfeited.
         (f)  If the forfeited weapon may not be legally possessed in
  this state, the state agency shall turn the weapon over to local law
  enforcement as evidence or for destruction.
         (g)  If a person may legally possess the weapon in this
  state:
               (1)  the forfeited weapon may be sold at public sale by
  an auctioneer licensed under Chapter 1802, Occupations Code; or
               (2)  the law enforcement agency holding the weapon may
  release the weapon to another person if:
                     (A)  the person:
                           (i)  claims a right to or interest in the
  weapon and provides an affidavit confirming that the person wholly
  or partly owns the weapon or otherwise has a right to or interest in
  the weapon; or
                           (ii)  is an alternate person designated by
  the person under Section 2165.453(d) or 2165.454(c)(4); and
                     (B)  for a weapon that is a firearm, the law
  enforcement agency conducts a check of state and national criminal
  history record information and verifies that the person may
  lawfully possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g).
         (h)  Only a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. Section
  923 may purchase a firearm at public sale under this section.
         (i)  Proceeds from the sale of a weapon under this section
  shall be transferred, after the deduction of auction costs, to the
  general revenue fund.
         SECTION 2.  Subtitle C, Title 11, Local Government Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 365 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 365. TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC
  BUILDINGS
         Sec. 365.001.  APPLICABILITY. (a) This chapter applies to a
  building or portion of a building:
               (1)  that is:
                     (A)  used by a political subdivision of this
  state; and
                     (B)  generally open to the public; and
               (2)  in which:
                     (A)  carrying a handgun or other firearm,
  location-restricted knife, club, or other weapon on the premises or
  part of the premises would violate Chapter 46, Penal Code, or other
  law; or
                     (B)  the political subdivision in control of the
  building, by sign or otherwise, prohibits handguns or other
  firearms, location-restricted knives, clubs, or other weapons on
  the premises or part of the premises.
         (b)  This chapter does not apply to:
               (1)  a penal institution, as that term is defined by
  Section 1.07, Penal Code; or
               (2)  a public primary or secondary school or
  institution of higher education.
         Sec. 365.002.  TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE. (a) A
  political subdivision may provide temporary secure weapon storage
  for a building or portion of a building to which this chapter
  applies for persons who enter the building or portion of the
  building with a weapon prohibited in that building or portion of the
  building.
         (b)  The temporary secure weapon storage may be provided by:
               (1)  self-service weapon lockers described by Section
  365.003; or
               (2)  other temporary secure weapon storage operated at
  all times by a designated employee of the political subdivision
  under Section 365.004.
         Sec. 365.003.  SELF-SERVICE WEAPON LOCKERS FOR TEMPORARY
  SECURE STORAGE. (a) A political subdivision may provide
  self-service weapon lockers for the temporary secure storage of any
  weapon prohibited in a building or portion of a building.
         (b)  A self-service weapon locker must allow secure locking
  by the user and:
               (1)  provide a key for reopening; or
               (2)  reopen by electronic means, such as by a
  fingerprint scan or entry of a numeric code.
         (c)  A political subdivision may require a person to submit
  the person's name, the number of the person's driver's license or
  other form of identification, and the person's telephone number as
  a condition for use of a self-service weapon locker.
         (d)  A person placing a weapon in a self-service weapon
  locker may designate an alternate person to whom the weapon may be
  released if the person is not able to reclaim the person's weapon
  before the 30th day after the date the weapon was placed in the
  locker.
         Sec. 365.004.  TEMPORARY SECURE WEAPON STORAGE ADMINISTERED
  BY EMPLOYEE OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. (a) A political subdivision
  may provide temporary secure weapon storage operated by a
  designated employee of the political subdivision for a building or
  portion of a building in which weapons are prohibited.
         (b)  The weapons in temporary secure weapon storage must be
  held in a safe, locker, or other location that is locked and
  accessible only to the designated employee.
         (c)  If a person chooses to give to the designated employee
  the person's weapon for temporary secure storage, the employee
  shall:
               (1)  securely affix a claim tag to the weapon;
               (2)  provide the person with a claim receipt for
  reclaiming the weapon;
               (3)  record the person's name, the number of the
  person's driver's license or other form of identification, and the
  person's telephone number; and
               (4)  if designated by the person placing the weapon in
  temporary secure weapon storage, record the name of an alternate
  person to whom the weapon may be released if the person is not able
  to reclaim the person's weapon before the 30th day after the date
  the weapon was placed in storage.
         (d)  A person may reclaim the person's weapon by showing the
  designated employee operating the temporary secure weapon storage:
               (1)  the claim receipt given to the person at the time
  the weapon was placed in temporary secure storage; or
               (2)  the person's driver's license or other form of
  identification.
         (e)  A political subdivision that provides temporary secure
  weapon storage under this section shall ensure that:
               (1)  the temporary secure weapon storage is available
  and monitored by a designated employee of the political subdivision
  at all times that the building or portion of the building is open to
  the public; and
               (2)  a person who is choosing to place the weapon in
  storage or retrieving the weapon from storage is not required to
  wait more than a reasonable period.
         Sec. 365.005.  FEES. A political subdivision under this
  chapter may collect a fee for the use of a self-service weapon
  locker or other temporary secure weapon storage.
         Sec. 365.006.  UNCLAIMED WEAPONS. (a) A weapon that is
  unclaimed at the end of a business day may be removed from the
  self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage and
  placed in another secure location.
         (b)  If practicable, the political subdivision shall notify
  the person who placed the weapon in a self-service weapon locker or
  other temporary secure storage that the weapon is in the custody of
  the political subdivision and is subject to forfeiture if not
  reclaimed before the 30th day after the date the weapon was placed
  in a self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage.
  If the person provided a telephone number when the weapon was placed
  in a self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage,
  the political subdivision shall notify the person by using that
  telephone number.
         (c)  At each location where a weapon may be placed in a
  self-service weapon locker or other temporary secure storage, the
  political subdivision shall post a sign that describes the process
  for reclaiming a weapon left in a self-service weapon locker or
  other temporary secure storage for more than one business day.
         (d)  The political subdivision may require identification or
  other evidence of ownership before returning the unclaimed weapon.
  On return of the weapon, the political subdivision may charge a fee
  for the extended storage of the weapon.
         (e)  If the weapon is not reclaimed before the 30th day after
  the date the weapon was placed in a self-service weapon locker or
  other temporary secure storage, the weapon is forfeited.
         (f)  If the forfeited weapon may not be legally possessed in
  this state, the political subdivision shall turn the weapon over to
  local law enforcement as evidence or for destruction.
         (g)  If a person may legally possess the weapon in this
  state:
               (1)  the forfeited weapon may be sold at public sale by
  an auctioneer licensed under Chapter 1802, Occupations Code; or
               (2)  the law enforcement agency holding the weapon may
  release the weapon to another person if:
                     (A)  the person:
                           (i)  claims a right to or interest in the
  weapon and provides an affidavit confirming that the person wholly
  or partly owns the weapon or otherwise has a right to or interest in
  the weapon; or
                           (ii)  is an alternate person designated by
  the person under Section 365.003(d) or 365.004(c)(4); and
                     (B)  for a weapon that is a firearm, the law
  enforcement agency conducts a check of state and national criminal
  history record information and verifies that the person may
  lawfully possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g).
         (h)  Only a firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. Section
  923 may purchase a firearm at public sale under this section.
         (i)  Proceeds from the sale of a weapon under this section
  shall be transferred, after the deduction of auction costs, to the
  treasury of the political subdivision.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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