By: Taylor of Collin  S.B. No. 138
         (In the Senate - Filed November 14, 2016; January 25, 2017,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  March 21, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; March 21, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the exemption from range instruction for certain
  persons applying to obtain a license to carry a handgun.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 411.1881(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  a person may not be required to complete the range instruction
  portion of a handgun proficiency course to obtain a license issued
  under this subchapter if the person:
               (1)  is currently serving in or is honorably discharged
  from:
                     (A)  the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
  marine corps of the United States or an auxiliary service or reserve
  unit of one of those branches of the armed forces; or
                     (B)  the Texas military forces, as defined by
  Section 437.001; and
               (2)  has, within the 10 [five] years preceding the date
  of the person's application for the license, completed as part of
  the person's service with the armed forces or Texas military
  forces:
                     (A)  a course of training in firearm [handgun]
  proficiency or familiarization; or
                     (B)  a range qualification process for firearm
  usage [as part of the person's service with the armed forces or
  Texas military forces].
         SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2017, the director of
  the Department of Public Safety shall adopt the forms and
  procedures required by Section 411.1881, Government Code, as
  amended by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an application to obtain a license to carry a handgun submitted
  on or after December 1, 2017. An application submitted before
  December 1, 2017, is governed by the law in effect on the date the
  application was submitted, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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