Austin, TX — Today, the Associated Press revealed the devastating truth about Texas Republicans in the state legislature and Governor Abbott: After dozens of people, including toddlers and teenagers, were gunned down in separate mass shootings at a church Sutherland Springs and Santa Fe, Texas Republicans relaxed gun laws in the 86th Texas Legislature.
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“The goal was not to limit access to weapons or ban assault-style rifles, but to expand gun rights. After a pro-gun legislative session applauded by the National Rifle Association, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed new laws that eased restrictions on where firearms can be carried, from schools to churches, apartments and foster homes, and barred cities from passing their own gun and ammunition sales limits.”
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“After last weekend’s massacre of 22 people at an El Paso Walmart by an attacker with a military-style rifle, Texas’ Republican leadership is still unlikely to push for gun restrictions in a state that has long embraced firearms and has nearly 1.4 million handgun license holders, experts and advocates on both sides of the gun issue say.”
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‘“When Texas Republicans look at these massacres, they don’t blame guns, or gun laws. They blame people. They may blame institutions, schools, families, mental health, but not guns,’ said Mark Jones, political science professor at Rice University.”
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“Texas’ resistance to tightening gun laws stands in contrast to how some Republican-led states have reacted after mass shootings. After a 2018 attack at a high school in Parkland, Florida, that state became one of more than a dozen with “red flag” laws, which generally allow law enforcement or family members to ask a judge to order the seizure or surrender of guns from someone deemed dangerous to themselves or others. Florida also raised the legal age of buying a gun from 18 to 21.”
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“Texas has no restrictions on gun sales and allows licensed handgun owners to carry their weapons openly or concealed. Long gun or rifles, like the one used in the El Paso massacre, can be openly carried in public. Alice Tripp, legislative director and lobbyist for the NRA-affiliated Texas State Rifle Association, said Texans won’t follow other states on gun laws.”
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“They made things worse,” said Gyl Switzer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense. ‘I went naively into the session thinking ‘Progress here we come.’ But we ran head on into this idea that more guns make us safer.”
Courtesy of the House Democratic Caucus
|
Bill |
Author |
Overview of the Bill |
|
HB 38 |
Rep. Canales |
Require serial numbers for all newly manufactured and unmarked firearms |
|
HB 86 |
Rep. Martinez |
Creates an offense for reckless discharge of a firearm at no specific target |
|
HB 95 |
Rep. Hinojosa |
“Lie and Try” bill – would have created a state criminal offense for lying on a background check to try to purchase and gun. |
|
HB 131 |
Rep. Moody |
Relating to extreme risk protective orders and the prosecution of the criminal offense of unlawful transfer of a firearm; |
|
HB 172 |
Rep. Bernal |
Requires DPS to adopt rules on signs posting that a property can prohibit open carrying of a handgun |
|
HB 195 |
Rep. Reynolds |
Would have closed the gun show loophole by creating a criminal offense if a person knowingly sells a firearm to another person without complying with the Nation Instant Criminal Background Check System in the manner required by federal law. |
|
HB 257 |
Rep. Blanco |
Require schools to provide local law enforcement with a list of those authorized to have handguns on a campus |
|
HB 316 |
Rep. Howard |
Generate $1,000,000 for a public safety awareness campaign for firearm safe storage; passed as rider to the budget |
|
HB 349 |
Rep. Blanco |
Makes it a 3rd degree felony for anyone that owns or sells bump stocks that make it easier to rapidly fire a semi-automatic weapon |
|
HB 544 |
Rep. Nevárez |
Makes it a Class A misdemeanor if a person, through various legal proceedings, is identified to have an intellectual disability |
|
HB 545 |
Rep. Nevárez |
Makes it an offense to sell, rent, or otherwise transfer a gun to a person receiving mental health services or a known intellectual disability |
|
HB 842 |
Rep. Hernandez |
Relating to a central database containing information about offenders who have committed certain violent offenses against children or offenses involving family or dating violence. |
|
HB 854 |
Rep. Moody |
Makes it a 3rd degree felony if an adult makes a firearm accessible to child and it results in injury or death |
|
HB 1163 |
Rep. Anchia |
Allows cities over 750,000 to hold election on open carrying of handguns in that city |
|
HB 1164 |
Rep. Anchia |
Prohibits having a gun at an arena, stadium, golf course, automobile racetrack, amphitheater, auditorium, theater, museum, zoo, botanical garden, civic center, or convention center, unless the handgun is designed to be used at said event |
|
HB 1165 |
Rep. Anchia |
Provides guidelines for businesses posting signs about prohibiting open carrying of handguns |
|
HB 1166 |
Rep. Anchia |
Relating to wrongful exclusion of handgun license holders from certain property owned by or leased to a governmental entity and to certain offenses relating to the carrying of handguns on that property. |
|
HB 1167 |
Rep. Anchia |
Expands offenses for those who carry weapons at amusement parks or locations associated with schools or other educational institutions |
|
HB 1168 |
Rep. Anchia |
Prohibited handguns on airport tarmacs; bill was vetoed by Gov. Abbott. |
|
HB 1169 |
Rep. Anchia |
Regarding offenses for unregulated sales of firearms at gun shows |
|
HB 1170 |
Rep. Anchia |
Prohibits state retirement systems from investing in companies that manufacture firearm or firearm ammunition |
|
HB 1171 |
Rep. Anchia |
Relating to certain criminal offenses concerning the unlawful transfer or purchase of certain weapons to a person known to not be able to legally have a firearm |
|
HB 1172 |
Rep. Anchia |
Prohibits using a 3D printer for the manufacture of firearms |
|
HB 1173 |
Rep. Anchia |
Allows institutions of higher education to adopt policies prohibiting guns on campus |
|
HB 1207 |
Rep. Rodriguez |
Requires that an individual report the loss or theft of any firearm they own to a peace officer or law enforcement agency within 5 days. If it is discovered during the course of an investigation that an individual failed to report the loss or theft of a firearm they own, the individual may be charged with a Class C misdemeanor and lose their eligibillity for a License to Carry (LTC) for 5 years. |
|
HB 1208 |
Rep. Rodriguez |
Relating to the storage of firearms surrendered by a person subject to a magistrate’s order for emergency protection or protective order as a result of family violence, sexual assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons. |
|
HB 1236 |
Rep. Goodwin |
Would have allowed public college to opt out of “campus carry” and prohibit the possession of guns on campuses just live private colleges are allowed to do. |
|
HB 1375 |
Rep. Meza |
Requires DPS to creates rules and regulations regarding the private transfer of firearms |
|
HB 1376 |
Rep. Meza |
Requires DPS to creates rules and regulations regarding the private transfer of firearms |
|
HB 1445 |
Rep. Rosenthal |
Makes it a Class C misdemeanor for carrying a gun while intoxicated |
|
HB 1713 |
Rep. Ramos |
Requires a person to surrender firearms if convicted of certain types of family violence |
|
HB 1945 |
Rep. Ramos |
Prohibits bringing guns to a licensed child care facility on a campus |
|
HB 2046 |
Rep. Ramos |
Require TEA to establish and administer a grant pilot program to award grants to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to fund mental health initiatives designed to address the prevention and impact of gun violence |
|
HB 2115 |
Rep. Rosenthal |
Exempts firearm safety equipment from sales taxes |
|
HB 2280 |
Rep. Goodwin |
Requires DPS to adopt rules on signs posting that a property can prohibit open carrying of a handgun |
|
HB 2655 |
Rep. Rosenthal |
Creates an active shooter emergency protocol for public school districts and requires active shooter response training for school district peace officers and school resource officers. |
|
HB 2849 |
Rep. Goodwin |
Creates a 1% tax on the sale price of the ammunition, firearm, or firearm accessory |
|
HB 2949 |
Rep. Guillen |
Relating to a license to carry a handgun for a person who is at increased risk of becoming a victim of violence |
|
HB 3054 |
Rep. Gervin-Hawkins |
Designated June as Firearm Safety Awareness Month |
|
HB 3191 |
Rep. Moody |
A person who is the subject of a family violence protective order or arrested for or charged with an offense involving family violence to surrender firearms owned by the person. |
|
HB 3506 |
Rep. Talarico |
Says that a license to carry a handgun in another state does not automatically transfer to Texas |
|
HB 3507 |
Rep. Talarico |
Requiring a national instant criminal background check in connection with firearm loans at a sport shooting range |
|
HB 3508 |
Rep. Talarico |
Provides DPS discretion in denying the issuance or renewal of a license to carry a handgun |
|
HB 3812 |
Rep. Collier |
Adds family violence misdemeanor as an item to flag in federal firearm background check database |
|
HB 4017 |
Rep. Calanni |
Prohibits identified members of criminal street gangs from obtaining a license to carry a handgun |
|
HB 4021 |
Rep. Dominguez |
Prohibits carrying a gun within 100 feet of any government court or court office; currently only on the premises. |
|
HB 4341 |
Rep. Collier |
Makes it a state jail felony if making a firearm available to a child results in an injury or death |
|
HB 4496 |
Rep. Hinojosa |
Relating to the attempt of trying to get a firearm when already prohibited. |
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