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