BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 138

By: Taylor, Van

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that state law requires members of the military and veterans to complete duplicative range instruction requirements when applying for a handgun license if such a person has not recently completed similar military training courses. S.B. 138 seeks to address this issue by extending the timeframe within which the completion of certain military training courses qualifies members of the military or certain veterans for an exemption from the range instruction portion of the handgun proficiency course required when applying for a handgun license.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 138 amends the Government Code to change the manner in which a person applying for a handgun license who is currently serving in or is honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces or the Texas military forces qualifies for an exemption from the range instruction portion of the required handgun proficiency course from qualifying by having completed a course of training in handgun proficiency or familiarization as part of the person's service with the armed forces or Texas military forces within the five years preceding the date of the person's application for the license to qualifying by having completed as part of the person's service, within the 10 years preceding that application date, a course of training in firearm proficiency or familiarization or a range qualification process for firearm usage. The bill requires the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety to adopt the forms and procedures required to implement the bill's provisions not later than December 1, 2017. The bill applies only to an application to obtain a handgun license submitted on or after December 1, 2017.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.