Honorable Bryan Hughes, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB825 by Springer (Relating to the offense of possessing a weapon in a secured area of an airport.), As Introduced
The bill would amend the Penal Code as it relates to places where weapons are prohibited. Under the provisions of the bill, the defenses to prosecution would be expanded to allow for possession of a weapon in a secured area of an airport with certain approved authorization. Under existing statute, possessing a weapon where prohibited is a third degree felony.
A third degree felony is punishable by confinement in prison for a term from 2 to 10 years and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.
Expanding the defense to prosecution for a criminal offense is expected to result in fewer demands on the correctional resources of counties or of the State due to a decrease in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement within state correctional institutions. From fiscal year 2018 to 2020, 1,152 individuals were arrested, 108 were placed under felony community supervision, and 35 were admitted into state correctional institutions for possessing a weapon where prohibited under existing statute. This analysis assumes implementing the provisions of the bill addressing felony sanctions would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.