By: Campbell, Birdwell S.B. No. 273
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain offenses relating to carrying concealed
  handguns on property owned or leased by a governmental entity;
  providing a civil penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 411.209 to read as follows:
         Sec. 411.209.  WRONGFUL EXCLUSION OF CONCEALED HANDGUN
  LICENSE HOLDER.  (a)  A state agency or a political subdivision of
  the state may not provide notice by a communication described by
  Section 30.06, Penal Code, or by any sign expressly referring to
  that law or to a concealed handgun license, that a license holder
  carrying a handgun under the authority of this subchapter is
  prohibited from entering or remaining on a premises or other place
  owned or leased by the governmental entity unless license holders
  are prohibited from carrying a handgun on the premises or other
  place by Section 46.03 or 46.035, Penal Code.
         (b)  A state agency or a political subdivision of the state
  that violates Subsection (a) is liable for a civil penalty of:
               (1)  not less than $1,000 and not more than $1,500 for
  the first violation; and
               (2)  not less than $10,000 and not more than $10,500 for
  the second or a subsequent violation.
         (c)  Each day of a continuing violation of Subsection (a)
  constitutes a separate violation.
         (d)  A citizen of this state or a person licensed to carry a
  concealed handgun under this subchapter may file a complaint with
  the attorney general that a state agency or political subdivision
  is in violation of Subsection (a) if the citizen or person provides
  the agency or subdivision a written notice that describes the
  violation and specific location of the sign found to be in violation
  and the agency or subdivision does not cure the violation before the
  end of the third business day after the date of receiving the
  written notice.  A complaint filed under this subsection must
  include evidence of the violation and a copy of the written notice.
         (e)  A civil penalty collected by the attorney general under
  this section shall be deposited to the credit of the compensation to
  victims of crime fund established under Subchapter B, Chapter 56,
  Code of Criminal Procedure.
         (f)  Before a suit may be brought against a state agency or a
  political subdivision of the state for a violation of Subsection
  (a), the attorney general must investigate the complaint to
  determine whether legal action is warranted.  If legal action is
  warranted, the attorney general must give the chief administrative
  officer of the agency or political subdivision charged with the
  violation a written notice that:
               (1)  describes the violation and specific location of
  the sign found to be in violation;
               (2)  states the amount of the proposed penalty for the
  violation; and
               (3)  gives the agency or political subdivision 15 days
  from receipt of the notice to remove the sign and cure the violation
  to avoid the penalty, unless the agency or political subdivision
  was found liable by a court for previously violating Subsection
  (a).
         (g)  If the attorney general determines that legal action is
  warranted and that the state agency or political subdivision has
  not cured the violation within the 15-day period provided by
  Subsection (f)(3), the attorney general or the appropriate county
  or district attorney may sue to collect the civil penalty provided
  by Subsection (b).  The attorney general may also file a petition
  for a writ of mandamus or apply for other appropriate equitable
  relief.  A suit or petition under this subsection may be filed in a
  district court in Travis County or in a county in which the
  principal office of the state agency or political subdivision is
  located.  The attorney general may recover reasonable expenses
  incurred in obtaining relief under this subsection, including court
  costs, reasonable attorney's fees, investigative costs, witness
  fees, and deposition costs.
         (h)  Sovereign immunity to suit is waived and abolished to
  the extent of liability created by this section.
         SECTION 2.  Section 46.035(c), Penal Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  A license holder commits an offense if the license
  holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun
  under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,
  regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, in the room or rooms
  where a [at any] meeting of a governmental entity is held and if the
  meeting is an open meeting subject to Chapter 551, Government Code,
  and the entity provided notice as required by that chapter.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act in amending
  Section 46.035(c), Penal Code, applies only to an offense committed
  on or after the effective date of this Act.  An offense committed
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this section,
  an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if
  any element of the offense occurred before that date.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.