Honorable Ryan Guillen, Chair, House Committee on Community Safety, Select
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2960 by Cain (Relating to the applicability of a defense to prosecution for an offense relating to carrying a handgun in certain prohibited locations and to repealing associated notice requirements.), As Introduced
The bill would repeal a provision allowing a person to provide notice that firearms and other weapons are prohibited on a property. The bill would repeal an exception to a defense to prosecution for the offense of possessing a weapon in certain prohibited places if such a sign was posted or if the actor knew that carrying a firearm or other weapon on the property was prohibited.
In fiscal year 2022, there were 348 individuals arrested, 41 individuals placed on adult community supervision, 209 individuals placed on juvenile probation supervision, 12 individuals admitted to an adult state correctional institution, and no individuals admitted to a juvenile state correctional institution for the offense of possessing a weapon in prohibited places. It is unknown how many of these cases would be affected by the provisions of the bill.
It is assumed that any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.