House Bill 375 is now scheduled for a public hearing in committee on 3/28/2017. It is still considered having a slim chance in passing.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=85R&Bill=HB375
Anything happen with the hearing?
Hb 1911 cleared committee 6-2. I can't tell from articles if this is true ConCarry, they keep mentioning unlicensed open carry.
The most glaring difference between the two bills is how it defines who is “authorized” to carry a handgun in accordance with the constitution. HB 375 is much closer to our constitutional principles by allowing anyone who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a firearm to legally carry that firearm. This means that under HB 375, those with felony, gun-related, domestic violence or other convictions that prohibit the ownership or possession of a firearm will not be able to carry in Texas without a license (nor with one). HB 1911 only allows “authorized persons” to carry without a license. The bill defines an “authorized person” as a person who meets the requirements under Sections 411.172(a)(1)-(13) of the Government Code. These requirements are as follows:
Be a legal resident of the state for six months
Be at least 21 years of age
Not a convicted felon
Not be CHARGED with a class A or B misdemeanor, equivalent or higher offense, or an offense of “disorderly conduct” within the past five years which includes
“abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language” that is inciteful
“offensive gestures” that are inciteful
creating, by chemical means, a noxious and unreasonable odor in a public place
threatening someone in an offensive manner
unreasonable noises
fighting in public
discharging a firearm in public other than a range
display of a firearm “in a manner calculated to cause alarm”
discharging a firearm on a public road
exposing your anus or genitals in public where someone might be offended or alarmed
In other words, you have no constitutional rights if you are convicted of using bad language or flipping someone the bird. You have no constitutional rights if you create unreasonable noises. And this isn’t just a conviction within the past five years only. A simple arrest means you have no rights, whether or not charges are ever even filed. To be fair, there is no due process in either bill. This simply isn’t addressed. Only two states prevent people convicted of minor, nonviolent “crimes” from carrying a firearm in self-defense – Texas and California. HB 375 fixes this by allowing anyone that is not a prohibited person from carrying. To get a license, one must pass more strict guidelines as noted above. However, the benefit to having more strict guidelines for the licensing is that a license triggers certain extra privileges: skipping the line to enter the capitol, purchasing a firearm from an FFL without going through the BGC, etc.
Dear TSRA members, Family and Friends:
Historic Bills Passes Committee
Today the Republican members of the House committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety voted along party lines to pass HB 1911 by Rep. James White (R-Hillister) out of committee.
HB 1911, referred to as Permitless Carry is a major step forward to restore the handgun rights Texans lost in the 1870s.
A Texan eligible under state law to acquire a license to carry would be able to carry a handgun without the license. For instance the carrier would be required to be 21 years old and this would not include college campuses.
We want to stop and thank the Republican members of the committee for their patience and hard work. Each member spoke on record as they voted. Some would have liked more, others still had questions but all agreed HB 1911 needs to be moved to the House floor for a vote.
Chairman King, a long-time friend to gun owners, spoke of the witnesses who came to testify for HB 1911 and HB 375, a similar bill and he spoke of aggressive, abusive calls to his and the other members' staff. These were from proponents of the issue.
We cannot thank this committee enough for their patience and commitment to passing good legislation which improves and protects Texans' gun rights.
Please thank the committee members for HB 1911!
Chairman-Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford)
Rep. DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne)
Rep. Justin Holland (R-Rockwell)
Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe)
Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler)
Rep. John Wray (R-Waxahachie)
Thank you to Terry Holcomb (SREC) a hard working, dedicated friend.
Also today:
The committee heard testimony today, for and against, on 4 very bad bills: HB 234 by Anchia, HB 255 by Anchia, HB 3989 by E. Johnson, and HB 4200 by Hinojosa.
Although there was no vote on the bills above, we know we provided good information and logic to the committee and we couldn't do that without help.
This means we find witnesses and thanks to witnesses, who gave their time for TSRA and Texas gun owners and drove from as far as Houston to participate in an 8:00 hearing in Austin.
One more thank you!
Thanks to TSRA members, for writing and calling the committee when we ask. Your voice makes the difference.
In Austin for YOU
TSRA continues to fight for all Texas gun owners but remember we are funded totally by TSRA members.
Join, renew, and upgrade your membership by calling 512-615-4200, in your TSRA magazine or online at www.tsra.com
Our agenda, our membership, and our support are All about Texas.
And as always,
Keep the faith.
Alice Tripp
Legislative Director
Texas State Rifle Association
So HB1911 is for Texas residents only then?
After passing the House committee, HB1911 now sits in the Calendars Committee which is required before going to the whole House for a vote.
To make it through this Legislative session, the Calendars Committee must schedule HB1911 for a vote NLT May 9th...
https://lonestargr.com/legislative-updates/phil-king-kills-constitutional-carry/
I saw a yt video explaining the difference between hb1911 and sb375. 1911 is a load of crap and almost worse than the current permit system.
Houston, we have a problem http://www.guns.com/2017/05/10/texas-constitutional-carry-bills-all-but-dead-this-session/