87R5617 JSC-D
 
  By: Kacal H.B. No. 2303
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the carrying or possession of a handgun by peace
  officers, special investigators, certain retired law enforcement
  officers, municipal attorneys, and assistant municipal attorneys
  and the issuance of handgun licenses to municipal attorneys and
  assistant municipal attorneys.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 411.1882(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A person who is serving in this state as the attorney
  general or as a judge or justice of a federal court, as an active
  judicial officer as defined by Section 411.201, as a United States
  attorney, assistant United States attorney, assistant attorney
  general, district attorney, assistant district attorney, criminal
  district attorney, assistant criminal district attorney, county
  attorney, [or] assistant county attorney, municipal attorney, or
  assistant municipal attorney, as a supervision officer as defined
  by Article 42A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, or as a juvenile
  probation officer may establish handgun proficiency for the
  purposes of this subchapter by obtaining from a handgun proficiency
  instructor approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement for
  purposes of Section 1702.1675, Occupations Code, a sworn statement
  that indicates that the person, during the 12-month period
  preceding the date of the person's application to the department,
  demonstrated to the instructor proficiency in the use of handguns.
         SECTION 2.  Section 46.15, Penal Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (m) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to:
               (1)  peace officers or special investigators under
  Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, and neither section
  prohibits a peace officer or special investigator from carrying a
  weapon in this state, including in an establishment in this state
  serving the public, regardless of whether the peace officer or
  special investigator is engaged in the actual discharge of the
  officer's or investigator's duties while carrying the weapon;
               (2)  parole officers, and neither section prohibits an
  officer from carrying a weapon in this state if the officer is:
                     (A)  engaged in the actual discharge of the
  officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and
                     (B)  in compliance with policies and procedures
  adopted by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice regarding the
  possession of a weapon by an officer while on duty;
               (3)  community supervision and corrections department
  officers appointed or employed under Section 76.004, Government
  Code, and neither section prohibits an officer from carrying a
  weapon in this state if the officer is:
                     (A)  engaged in the actual discharge of the
  officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and
                     (B)  authorized to carry a weapon under Section
  76.0051, Government Code;
               (4)  an active judicial officer as defined by Section
  411.201, Government Code, who is licensed to carry a handgun under
  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code;
               (5)  an honorably retired peace officer or other
  qualified retired law enforcement officer, as defined by 18 U.S.C.
  Section 926C, who holds a certificate of proficiency issued under
  Section 1701.357, Occupations Code, and is carrying a photo
  identification that is issued by a federal, state, or local law
  enforcement agency, as applicable, and that verifies that the
  officer is an honorably retired peace officer or other qualified
  retired law enforcement officer;
               (6)  the attorney general or a United States attorney,
  district attorney, criminal district attorney, county attorney, or
  municipal attorney who is licensed to carry a handgun under
  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code;
               (7)  an assistant United States attorney, assistant
  attorney general, assistant district attorney, assistant criminal
  district attorney, [or] assistant county attorney, or assistant
  municipal attorney who is licensed to carry a handgun under
  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code;
               (8)  a bailiff designated by an active judicial officer
  as defined by Section 411.201, Government Code, who is:
                     (A)  licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter
  H, Chapter 411, Government Code; and
                     (B)  engaged in escorting the judicial officer;
               (9)  a juvenile probation officer who is authorized to
  carry a firearm under Section 142.006, Human Resources Code; or
               (10)  a person who is volunteer emergency services
  personnel if the person is:
                     (A)  carrying a handgun under the authority of
  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code; and
                     (B)  engaged in providing emergency services.
         (m)  Section 46.035 does not apply to:
               (1)  peace officers or special investigators under
  Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, and that section does
  not prohibit a peace officer or special investigator from carrying
  a handgun in this state, including in an establishment in this state
  serving the public, regardless of whether the peace officer or
  special investigator is engaged in the actual discharge of the
  officer's or investigator's duties while carrying the handgun; or
               (2)  an honorably retired peace officer or other
  qualified retired law enforcement officer, as defined by 18 U.S.C.
  Section 926C, who holds a certificate of proficiency issued under
  Section 1701.357, Occupations Code, and is carrying a photo
  identification that is issued by a federal, state, or local law
  enforcement agency, as applicable, and that verifies that the
  officer is an honorably retired peace officer or other qualified
  retired law enforcement officer.
         SECTION 3.  Section 411.1882(a), Government Code, as amended
  by this Act, applies only to an application for a license to carry a
  handgun submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An
  application submitted before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
  submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  Section 46.15, Penal Code, as amended by this
  Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective
  date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was
  committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
  occurred before that date.
         SECTION 5.  Section 46.15(m), Penal Code, as added by this
  Act, is intended only to clarify existing law with respect to the
  locations in which peace officers, special investigators, and
  qualified retired law enforcement officers may carry a handgun.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.