88R1107 TSS-D
 
  By: Reynolds H.B. No. 761
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to prohibiting the transfer of an assault weapon to
  certain recipients; creating a criminal offense; increasing a
  criminal penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 46.06, Penal Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 46.06.  UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF CERTAIN WEAPONS. (a) A
  person commits an offense if the person:
               (1)  sells, rents, leases, loans, or gives a handgun to
  any person knowing that the person to whom the handgun is to be
  delivered intends to use it unlawfully or in the commission of an
  unlawful act;
               (2)  intentionally or knowingly sells, rents, leases,
  or gives or offers to sell, rent, lease, or give:
                     (A)  a [to any child younger than 18 years of age
  any firearm,] club, [or] location-restricted knife, or firearm
  other than an assault weapon to a child younger than 18 years of
  age; or
                     (B)  an assault weapon to a person younger than 21
  years of age;
               (3)  intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly sells a
  firearm or ammunition for a firearm to any person who is
  intoxicated;
               (4)  knowingly sells a firearm or ammunition for a
  firearm to any person who has been convicted of a felony before the
  fifth anniversary of the later of the following dates:
                     (A)  the person's release from confinement
  following conviction of the felony; or
                     (B)  the person's release from supervision under
  community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision following
  conviction of the felony;
               (5)  sells, rents, leases, loans, or gives a handgun to
  any person knowing that an active protective order is directed to
  the person to whom the handgun is to be delivered;
               (6)  knowingly purchases, rents, leases, or receives as
  a loan or gift from another a handgun while an active protective
  order is directed to the actor; or
               (7)  while prohibited from possessing a firearm under
  state or federal law, knowingly makes a material false statement on
  a form that is:
                     (A)  required by state or federal law for the
  purchase, sale, or other transfer of a firearm; and
                     (B)  submitted to a licensed firearms dealer, as
  defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 923.
         (b)  In this section:
               (1)  "Intoxicated" means substantial impairment of
  mental or physical capacity resulting from introduction of any
  substance into the body.
               (2)  "Active protective order" means a protective order
  issued under Title 4, Family Code, that is in effect. The term does
  not include a temporary protective order issued before the court
  holds a hearing on the matter.
               (3)  "Assault weapon" means:
                     (A)  a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has the
  capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has:
                           (i)  a pistol grip that protrudes
  conspicuously beneath the action of the firearm;
                           (ii)  a folding or telescoping stock;
                           (iii)  a thumbhole stock;
                           (iv)  a second handgrip or a protruding grip
  that can be held by the non-trigger hand;
                           (v)  a flash suppressor; or
                           (vi)  a grenade launcher or flare launcher;
                     (B)  a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has a
  fixed magazine that holds more than 10 rounds of ammunition;
                     (C)  a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has an
  overall length of less than 30 inches;
                     (D)  a semiautomatic shotgun that has the capacity
  to accept a detachable magazine;
                     (E)  a semiautomatic shotgun that has a folding or
  telescoping stock and has:
                           (i)  a thumbhole stock; or
                           (ii)  a second handgrip or a protruding grip
  that can be held by the non-trigger hand;
                     (F)  a semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity
  to accept a detachable magazine and has:
                           (i)  a second handgrip or a protruding grip
  that can be held by the non-trigger hand;
                           (ii)  an ammunition magazine that attaches
  to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;
                           (iii)  a threaded barrel capable of
  accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; or
                           (iv)  a shroud that is attached to or
  partially or completely encircles the barrel and that permits the
  shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being
  burned;
                     (G)  a semiautomatic pistol that has a fixed
  magazine that holds more than 10 rounds of ammunition;
                     (H)  a revolving cylinder shotgun; or
                     (I)  a conversion kit, part, or combination of
  parts from which an assault weapon can be assembled or with which a
  firearm may be converted into a weapon described by Paragraph (A),
  (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), or (H).
         (c)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under
  Subsection (a)(2)(A) [(a)(2)] that the transfer was to a minor
  whose parent or the person having legal custody of the minor had
  given written permission for the sale or, if the transfer was other
  than a sale, the parent or person having legal custody had given
  effective consent.
         (c-1)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection
  (a)(2)(B) that the transfer of the assault weapon is necessary for
  the actual discharge of the recipient's official duties as a member
  of the armed forces or state military forces, as defined by Section
  437.001, Government Code.
         (d)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
  except that:
               (1)  an offense under Subsection (a)(2)(A) [(a)(2)] is
  a state jail felony if the weapon that is the subject of the offense
  is a handgun; and
               (2)  an offense under Subsection (a)(2)(B) or (a)(7) is
  a state jail felony.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.