House Bill 1927	House Author:  Schaefer et al.
Effective:  9-1-21	Senate Sponsor:  Schwertner et al.

House Bill 1927, the Firearm Carry Act of 2021, amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Human Resources Code, Labor Code, Local Government Code, and Penal Code to make it legal for any person 21 years of age or older to carry a handgun, either openly in a holster or concealed, in a manner consistent with state and federal law without first obtaining a handgun license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm and have not been convicted of certain specific offenses within the preceding five years. The bill maintains prohibitions against carrying a weapon on certain premises and further maintains restrictions on the authority to carry a handgun on certain other premises, including college campuses, which is reserved as a privilege only of license holders.

Among other provisions, the bill requires the Department of Public Safety to develop and post on its website a course on firearm safety and handling that is accessible to the public free of charge and makes a person who has been arrested, charged, and convicted of an offense involving the unlawful carrying of a handgun on another's property before September 1, 2021, eligible to have all records and files relating to the arrest expunged. The bill revises penalties for certain conduct involving a handgun, including by increasing the penalty for unlawful possession by an individual who is prohibited from possessing a firearm on the basis of a felony or Class A misdemeanor family violence conviction or an applicable protective order, and establishes a defense to prosecution for carrying a weapon in a place where weapons are prohibited for a person carrying a handgun who promptly departs from a location after being notified that carrying a weapon at that location is prohibited.