S.B. No. 599
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the carrying or possession of a handgun by a district or
  county clerk and the issuance of a handgun license to a district or
  county clerk.
         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, as a district or county
  clerk, 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.  The heading to Section 411.201, Government Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 411.201.  ACTIVE AND RETIRED JUDICIAL OFFICERS; CERTAIN
  COURT OFFICERS.
         SECTION 3.  Section 411.201(h), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (h)  The department shall issue a license to carry a handgun
  under the authority of this subchapter to an applicant who meets the
  requirements of this section for an active judicial officer and who
  is a United States attorney or an assistant United States attorney,
  [or to] an attorney elected or employed to represent the state in
  the prosecution of felony cases, or a district or county clerk [who
  meets the requirements of this section for an active judicial
  officer].  The department shall waive any fee required for the
  issuance of an original, duplicate, or renewed license under this
  subchapter for an applicant who is a United States attorney or an
  assistant United States attorney, [or who is] an attorney elected
  or employed to represent the state in the prosecution of felony
  cases, or a district or county clerk.
         SECTION 4.  Section 46.15(a), Penal Code, is amended 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 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; or
               (11)  a district or county clerk who is carrying a
  handgun the clerk is licensed to carry under Subchapter H, Chapter
  411, Government Code.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 411.1882(a) and 411.201(h), Government
  Code, as amended by this Act, apply 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 6.  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 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 599 passed the Senate on
  March 16, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 22, 2023, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 599 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 91,
  Nays 53, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor