NRA-ILA Texas State Director Tara Mica presented State Rep. Cole Hefner with NRA’s Defender of Freedom Award this week at the Texas Capitol.  Rep. Hefner authored and passed HB 1500, protecting the operations of firearms manufacturers and retailers during future emergencies or disasters.  He also sponsored SB 20, prohibiting hotels in Texas from adopting “no firearms” policies for guests and joint authored HB 1927, the historic Constitutional Carry bill.

Dear Texas House District 5 NRA Member:

The Texas Legislature passed groundbreaking legislation to restore and protect your Second Amendment rights in the Lone Star State during its 2021 Regular Session.  As NRA-ILA reported to you earlier, a dozen new pro-Second Amendment bills take effect TODAY — Wednesday, September 1.

Your State Representative, Cole Hefner, authored and passed House Bill 1500, which 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.

Representative Hefner was also the lead House sponsor of Senate Bill 20, which protects the ability of hotel guests to store lawfully-possessed 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.​

Additionally, Representative Hefner was a joint author of House Bill 1927, NRA-backed constitutional carry legislation, this session.  HB 1927 allows law-abiding adults, age 21 or older, to carry a handgun concealed or unconcealed for personal protection without paying a fee and obtaining a license from the state.  Texas’ existing License To Carry law remains on the books so that residents and non-residents may continue to obtain LTCs for purposes of reciprocity and NICS-exemptions ​when purchasing a firearm.  Upon the governor’s signature, the new law will take effect on September 1.

Please take a moment to thank Representative Hefner for his hard work on, and support for, these landmark pro-Second Amendment measures in the Texas Legislature and to congratulate him on receiving the distinguished NRA Defender of Freedom award.