89th Session Legislation We Oppose

Legislation Texas Gun Sense Opposes

89th Legislative Session

HB 4201 would broadly allow firearm carry in schools, courthouses, hospitals and bars.

There is no evidence that mass shooters seek out places where guns are prohibited. In fact, most mass shootings occur in private homes or public locations where guns are permitted.
This legislation could be particularly dangerous for schools if Texas lowered age restrictions.
The Supreme Court made it clear that its holding in Bruen was “neither a regulatory straightjacket nor a regulatory blank check,” and that restrictions on guns in sensitive places are still permissible.
While many permit holders are law-abiding citizens, having a permit does not guarantee lawful behavior. Texas DPS reports reveal that since 2008, permit holders have been convicted of at least 120 deaths.
The Texas Hospital Association opposed the bill based on a concern that emotionally charged medical situations could become chaotic or violent in the presence of firearms.

HB 1794 would allow individuals to carry concealed firearms in polling places and HB 1128 would allow elections judges to carry concealed firearms in polling places.

The presence of firearms at polling places, regardless of whether they are meant to intimidate, may discourage people from participating in democracy.
There is legal precedent for prohibiting firearms in certain locations. Bruen reaffirmed the constitutional validity of sensitive place prohibitions at “legislative assemblies, polling places, and courthouses.”
A prohibition on firearm possession in places of political participation sends the message to voters that they can participate in democracy without fearing for their safety and will make enforcing these laws easier for law enforcement and the courts.

HB 1403 would bar child welfare agencies from asking prospective foster parents how many weapons are in their home.

Nearly 300 Texas youth ages 1 to 17 died by firearms in 2023, making guns the leading cause of death for children.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young Texans ages 10 to 24. Alarmingly, youth firearm suicide has increased inexorably for the last 15 years.

When public health researchers examine how firearms used in suicides are acquired, 79% of youth under 18 used the firearm of a relative.
Limiting conversations about securely stored firearms could impact the state’s liability if a youth in care uses a firearm to harm themselves or others.

SB 1596 would legalize short barrel firearms.

Short-barreled firearms are more easily concealable and maneuverable, significantly enhancing their lethality. Congress took necessary public safety action to regulate these firearms during the Prohibition era, when they became a weapon of choice for mobsters.
The 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) was the first federal regulation of guns in America. This ensures that the purchasers of particularly lethal firearms and components receive heightened scrutiny, including fingerprinting and photo identification, before accessing these weapons.
In 1939 the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case United States v. Miller, ruling that through the National Firearms Act, Congress could regulate the interstate selling of a short barrel shotgun. The court stated that there was no evidence that a sawed off shotgun “has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia,” and thus “we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument.”

This type of gun was used to murder 10 and injure 13 at Santa Fe High School.

SB 1718 would allow taxpayer funds to support NRA events.

The NRA’s lobbying arm has consistently opposed gun safety bills—even measures that would promote secure gun storage to prevent unintentional shootings, school violence and suicides—and pushed for harmful policies that hurt Texans.
In 2021, the NRA was instrumental in the passage of permitless carry in Texas—a policy most Texans opposed, including law enforcement.
This bill would monetarily benefit the NRA instead of helping to curb the public health crisis of gun violence.

Legislation Texas Gun Sense Opposes

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