2011 Bill Status Report

[Charles L. Cotton]

The 2011 Bill Status Report is also posted on the Texas Firearms Coalition website. It is a color coded version that is much easier to interpret at a glance. You can also select a pdf version, print, or email the report. (Right column.)

Final 2011 Bill Status Report

House Bills:

HB25 - By Guillen: Exempts watercraft from the general prohibitions on carrying a handgun in Texas Penal Code §46.02. Status: Pre-filed.Good Bill
Final Status: Passed.

HB77 - By Flynn: Exempts watercraft from the general prohibitions on carrying a handgun in Texas Penal Code §46.02. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill
Final Status: Died in committee; identical HB25 passed.

HB86 - By Simpson : Campus-carry. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill
Final Status: Left pending in committee.

HB145 - Laubenberg: Purports to exempt firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured in Texas from federal regulations and laws. Well-intended Bill
Final Status: Left pending in committee.

HB175 - By Jackson (?): Dealing with alcohol licensing. Includes a provision to deny a liquor license to anyone with, inter alia, any firearms related offense within five years. Status: Pre-filed. Neutral on Bill
Final Status: Passed.

HB181 - By Miller, Sid: Exempts firearms and ammunition from Texas sales tax. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill.
Final Status: Died in committee.
HB190 - By Walle: Allows certain counties to regulate noise generated by loud speakers. Status: Pre-filed. Neutral on bill. CAVEAT: Watch bill for firearms related amendments.
Final Status: Left Pending in committee.

HB242 - By Craddick (R A): Requires law enforcement agencies to issue retired credentials to honorably retired officers. Status: Pre-filed. Good Bill.
Final Status: Passed.

HB298 - By Berman -Purports to exempt firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured in Texas from federal regulations and laws. [Identical to HB145] Well-intended bill.
Final Status: Left pending in committee.

HB356 - By Burnam (D F): Requires Texas Residents to have a Texas CHL to carry in Texas. Status: Pre-filed. Bad Bill Final Status: Left pending in committee.

HB681 - Kleinschmidt: Prohibits employers from prohibiting employees from storing legally possessed firearms in the employees' locked vehicles in employers' parking lots. Companion Bill: SB321. Status:· Filed.· Very good bill.
Final Status: Laid on table subject to recall because the Senate companion SB321 passed.

HB698 - By Huberty: Allows school board members and school superintendents who have a CHL to carry on the "premises" of a school. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB750 - By Driver: Campus security (campus-carry) bill. Status: filed. Very good bill.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB857 - By Hughes: Adds Family District Court associate judges to the persons exempt from both Tex. Penal Code Sections 46.02 and 46.03. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB954 - By Lozano: This is another employer parking lot bill. Good bill.
Final Status: Died in committee; SB321 passed.

HB1167 - By Van Taylor: This is a campus-carry bill that applies only to junior colleges and public technical institutes. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB1327 - By Raymond: Waived all CHL fees for military veterans. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Left pending in committee.

HB1356 - By Gooden: This is a campus-carry bill that applies only to school faculty, staff and employees. Good bill.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB1463 - By Kleinschmidt: Allows members of the Texas Legislature and statewide elected officials with a CHL to carry handguns everywhere peace officers can carry. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Left pending in subcommittee.

HB1501 - By White: Allows a landowner to hunt on their own land without a hunting license. Good bill.
Final Status: Died in committee.

HB1530 - By Sid Miller: Allows a county commissioners to carry at meetings of county commissioners court. Neutral on bill. Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB1595 - By Isaac: This is a much needed sport shooting range protection bill that makes it much harder to file frivolous lawsuits. Very good bill!
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committe because SB766 passed.

HB1701 - By Legler: This bill exempts CHL applicants who are service members from the shooting portion of the CHL class if, within the preceding 5 years, they have demonstrated shooting proficiency. Neutral on the bill.
Final Status: Died in Committee.

HB2127 - By Geren: A committee substitute for this bill will prohibit the regulation of shooting on tracts of land of at least 100 ac even if they were annexed prior to Sept. 1, 1981. Good bill as amended.
Final Status: Passed.

HB2178 - By Driver: This bill decriminalizes carrying of a concealed handgun on the "premises" of a public or private school. Good bill.
Final Status:· Died in Calendars Committee.

HB2560 - By Sheffield, Driver, Legler: This bill bar governmental agencies from prohibiting a foster parent who has a CHL from carrying a concealed handgun while a foster child is in the car. Good bill.
Final Status: Passed.

HB2613 - By Flynn: The purpose of this bill is to establish a permanent CHL.
Final Status: Died in Calendars Committee.

HB2756 - By Lavender: This bill will establish licensed open-carry in Texas.
Final Status:· Died in Calendars Committee.

HB2807 - By Burnam. This is a first-step assault weapos ban similar to the former federal assault weapons ban. HB2807 targets delivery to persons under age 21. Very bad bill.
Final Status:· Died in Committee.

HB2890 - By Simpson: This is a limited application employer parking lot bill the prohibits governmental agencies, including colleges and universities, from establishing policies that prohibit employees from having guns in their cars, or state vehicles while the employee is on official business. Good bill.
Final Status:· Died in Committee.

HB3619 - By Sid Miller: This bill allows members of the legislature and statewide elected officials with CHL's to carry concealed handguns in bars, churches, hospitals/nursing homes, at school and professional sporting events and at governmental meetings. Neutral on bill.
Final Status:· Died in Calendars Committee

Senate Bills:

SB285 - By Harris: Adds Family District Court associate judges to the persons exempt from both Tex. Penal Code Sections 46.02 and 46.03. Neutral on bill. House companion bill HB857.
Final Status: Passed Senate but died in Calendars Committee.
SB294 - By Hinojosa: Requires DPS and TABC to study feasibility of check points to search for firearms, drugs and contraband in vehicles leaving Texas and entering Mexico. Check points must be within 1 mile of the border. Guardedly neutral on Bill.
Final Status: Passed Senate but died in Calendars Committee.

SB321 - By Hegar: Prohibits employers from prohibiting employees from storing legally possessed firearms in the employees' locked vehicles in employers' parking lots. Very good bill.
Final Status: Passed.

SB354 - By Wentworth: Prohibits public colleges and universities from establishing policies preventing CHL's from carrying handguns on campus. Very good bill.
Final Status: Bill died in Senate.

SB418 - By Williams: Allows school board members and school superintendents who have a CHL to carry on the "premises" of a school. Neutral on bill.
Final Status:· Died in committee

SB427 - By Huffman: Waived all CHL fees for the U.S. Attorney and assistant U.S. Attorneys. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Died in committee.

SB766 - By Estes: This is a much needed sport shooting range protection bill that makes it much harder to file frivolous lawsuits. Very good bill.
Final Status: Passed.

SB905 - By Patrick: This bill is similar to HB1463 and would make certain statewide elected officials and legislative members exempt from sections of Tex. Penal Code §46.03. Neutral on bill.
Final Status: Passed in the Senate, but died in House Calendars Committee.

Chas.

[wesw]

How do you all feel the proposed changes to Deferred Adjudications allowing expunction will affect CHL issuance, obviously, if you can expunge a Class A misdemeanor in two years thenthey wouldnt be able to make you wait five etc?

[Charles L. Cotton]

How do you all feel the proposed changes to Deferred Adjudications allowing expunction will affect CHL issuance, obviously, if you can expunge a Class A misdemeanor in two years thenthey wouldnt be able to make you wait five etc?

Are you referring to a bill that has been filed, or a proposal?

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Updated.

Chas.

[2up1down]

Thank you for all of your hard work Sir.
You are not only a blessing to the Good Citizens of Texas,
but the Nation as a whole.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Updated 4/5/11.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Updated:

HB2560 - CHL and foster parents

SB285 - CHL and judges

SB354 - Campus carry

Chas.

[The Annoyed Man]

HB1463 - By Kleinschmidt: Allows members of the Texas Legislature and statewide elected officials with a CHL to carry handguns everywhere peace officers can carry. Neutral on bill.
Status: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee March 2nd. Public Hearing: April 4th and left pending.

Charles, why are we neutral on this one? I think it is a terrible idea for there to be a two-tiered system in which an elected official is somehow more trustworthy than a regular citizen when it comes to the privileges afforded under CHL. We all have to pass the same background check, take the same class, and pass the same test and range qualification.

Is my life worth less than a legislator's? Am I any less in need of self protection inside an amusement park or a professional sporting event than an exalted legislator with a whiff of the divine about them? I'm not buying it. What is good for the goose is very much good for the gander.

[Charles L. Cotton]

HB1463 - By Kleinschmidt: Allows members of the Texas Legislature and statewide elected officials with a CHL to carry handguns everywhere peace officers can carry. Neutral on bill.
Status: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee March 2nd. Public Hearing: April 4th and left pending.

Charles, why are we neutral on this one? I think it is a terrible idea for there to be a two-tiered system in which an elected official is somehow more trustworthy than a regular citizen when it comes to the privileges afforded under CHL. We all have to pass the same background check, take the same class, and pass the same test and range qualification.

Is my life worth less than a legislator's? Am I any less in need of self protection inside an amusement park or a professional sporting event than an exalted legislator with a whiff of the divine about them? I'm not buying it. What is good for the goose is very much good for the gander.

The short answer is political necessity. The bill doesn't hurt gun owners and the "author" is a key player in fight to pass the parking lot bill.

Chas.

[74novaman]

HB1463 - By Kleinschmidt: Allows members of the Texas Legislature and statewide elected officials with a CHL to carry handguns everywhere peace officers can carry. Neutral on bill.
Status: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee March 2nd. Public Hearing: April 4th and left pending.

Charles, why are we neutral on this one? I think it is a terrible idea for there to be a two-tiered system in which an elected official is somehow more trustworthy than a regular citizen when it comes to the privileges afforded under CHL. We all have to pass the same background check, take the same class, and pass the same test and range qualification.

Is my life worth less than a legislator's? Am I any less in need of self protection inside an amusement park or a professional sporting event than an exalted legislator with a whiff of the divine about them? I'm not buying it. What is good for the goose is very much good for the gander.

Big discussion of that right here: http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=42352

Charles also states his opinion there, so this way we can let him work on the legislators and not repeat stuff for us.

To paraphrase him, we're neutral because he's pushing hard for the parking lot bill, and we're not going to throw out the baby with the bathwater.


Edit: Beaten to the punch by the man himself.

[The Annoyed Man]

Big discussion of that right here: http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=42352

Thanks. I'll take my argument there. You're right. I don't want to derail this thread.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Updated:

SB285 - CHL and judges
SB321 - Employer parking lots
SB354 - Campus-carry

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

This is the 2nd update for April 7th.

Updated:

HB1595 - Range protection bill.

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Update for Saturday, April 9th:

HB27 - Handguns in watercraft.
HB77 - Handgun in watercraft.
HB857 - Judges and guns

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Updated April 12th:

HB857 - Judges and CHL's
SB285 - Judges and CHL's

HB1595 - Range protection
SB766 - Range protection

HB2127 - Shooting on land of 100+ acres
HB2560 - Foster children and guns
SB321 - Employer parking lots
SB354 - Campus carry

Chas.