While reports about the House passing House Bill 1927, NRA-backed permitless carry legislation, dominated the news this week, there are a number of other significant pro-Second Amendment measures that are progressing through the legislative process as well.  We thank the authors of this important legislation for their work to push these initiatives through their respective legislative chambers!

This week the Texas Senate approved the following measures, sending them to the House for consideration:

Senate Bill 18, by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), and prioritized by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, establishes that firearm and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, suppliers and retailers are essential businesses that shall not be prohibited by state or local officials from operating during a declared disaster or emergency.  This bill ensures that law-abiding Texans can exercise their constitutional right to purchase and own firearms during future disasters or emergencies, regardless of any statewide or local officeholder’s personal politics.

Senate Bill 19, by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) and prioritized by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, discourages banks, payment processors, insurers, and other financial services providers from discriminating against members of the firearm and ammunition industries.  The legislation prohibits businesses that engage in this practice, from contracting with governmental entities in the Lone Star State.  Taxpayer dollars should not be used to benefit the bottom-line of corporations that are actively working to erode the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Texans. 

Senate Bill 20, by Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) and prioritized by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, protects the ability of hotel guests to lawfully possess handguns and ammunition in their rooms, and to transport them directly en route between their vehicles and their rooms.  Hotels frequently fail to include information on their websites, or in reservation notices, to inform guests about restrictive firearms policies. This forces gun owners, upon arrival, to consider leaving their firearms in their cars or trucks and make them susceptible to theft, in order to comply with policies they knew nothing of in advance.      

Senate Bill 550, by Sen. Drew Springer (R-Muenster), eliminates the requirement that the holster for an openly-carried handgun by a License To Carry holder, be a belt or shoulder holster.  This change will allow LTCs who carry openly to choose the type of holster that best suits their personal situation and self-defense needs.

Senate Bill 1253, by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), affirmatively preserves the ability of Texans to obtain a License To Carry for reciprocal purposes with other states, even if the licensing requirement for lawful carry of a handgun is eliminated (*Note: the House permitless carry bill does not repeal Texas’ License To Carry law*).

This week, the Texas House approved the following measures, sending them to the Senate for consideration:

House Bill 1500, by Rep. Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant), establishes that firearm and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, suppliers and retailers are essential businesses that shall not be prohibited by state or local officials from operating during a declared disaster or emergency.  This bill ensures that law-abiding Texans can exercise their constitutional right to purchase and own firearms during future disasters or emergencies, regardless of any statewide or local officeholder’s personal politics.

House Bill 1856, by Rep. Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant), protects the ability of hotel guests to lawfully possess firearms and ammunition in their rooms, and to transport them directly en route between their vehicles and their rooms.  Hotels frequently fail to include information on their websites, or in reservation notices, to inform guests about restrictive firearms policies. This forces gun owners, upon arrival, to consider leaving their firearms in their cars or trucks and make them susceptible to theft, in order to comply with policies they knew nothing of in advance.

House Bill 918, by Rep. Ben Leman (R-Iola), lowers the age eligibility requirement for a License To Carry, to 18 for, and extends this self-defense option to, a person who has obtained an active family violence protective order or magistrate’s order of emergency protection.

House Bill 1407, by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), allows a LTC holder to have a handgun in his or her vehicle that is visible and in a holster but not on the person – an important clarification, and an extension of legal, safe and practical carry options in one’s car or truck.  

NRA-ILA will keep you posted as to when these bills are set for committee hearings in the other chamber.  Thank you for all your calls and emails in support of these measures!