Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Busy Week at Texas Capitol as Legislature Enters Home Stretch

Friday, May 12, 2017

Busy Week at Texas Capitol as Legislature Enters Home Stretch

License To Carry Fee Reduction Bill Headed to Governor!

This week, the Texas Senate concurred with House amendments to Senate Bill 16, NRA-backed legislation that significantly reduces the cost of a License to Carry (LTC), sending the measure to Governor Greg Abbott (R) for his expected signature.  At $140, the fee for an original Texas license is among the highest in the nation.  SB 16 would bring the fees down to among the lowest in the country, slashing the cost of an original license by $100 to just $40, and cutting the price of a renewal license from $70 to $40.  In other words, the annual cost of a five-year LTC will now be just $8 per year.  No law-abiding Texan should be priced out of the ability to exercise his or her right to self-defense!  Thank you to Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) for sponsoring and passing this important legislation, and to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick for prioritizing this measure!

The Senate also approved two NRA-backed measures, sending them to the House for consideration: Senate Bill 349 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), which clarifies that firearms restrictions at school-sponsored activities are limited to property that is owned and under the control of the school or postsecondary educational institution, passed on a 26-5 vote.  And Senate Bill 1942 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), which allows school district, charter school and private school employees to leave firearms stored in their locked motor vehicles while parked at work, passed by a vote of 29-2.  These bills have been referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety and House Public Education Committee, respectively.  On Tuesday, May 16, the HSPS Committee will consider NRA-backed Senate Bill 263 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), legislation that eliminates the minimum caliber requirement for demonstrating handgun proficiency when completing range instruction for a License To Carry. 

Finally, the Senate State Affairs Committee held a public hearing on and reported out House Bill 1819 by Rep. Drew Springer (R-Muenster), an NRA-supported measure which makes important changes to the Penal Code to ensure that law-abiding Texans can continue purchasing and owning firearm sound suppressors under the streamlined regulations proposed in the federal Hearing Protection Act, should that pass.  That bill should be voted on by the full Senate next week. 

We will keep you posted on the progress of these bills and other Second Amendment-related legislation during these last two weeks of the legislative session! 

 

TRENDING NOW
New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

Saturday, March 8, 2025

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

In 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order declaring gun violence a “public health emergency” and banning the carry of firearms in various locations throughout the state.

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case in which the Mexican government is attempting to hold members of the U.S. gun industry financially liable for drug cartel violence south of the border.

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

Several years ago, a seven-year-old boy was suspended from school for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun and pretending to fire it at his second grade classmates. A school official stated the child ...

Senators and Representatives Send Letter Urging Repeal of Biden-era Rule Damaging the Firearms Industry

News  

Friday, March 7, 2025

Senators and Representatives Send Letter Urging Repeal of Biden-era Rule Damaging the Firearms Industry

On March 5th U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging him to rescind an interim final rule (IFR) that the Biden Administration ...

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

On March 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two decisions concerning the Commonwealth’s firearms carry licensing scheme for nonresidents.

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Thursday, March 6, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Yesterday the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee met to continue discussions on Senate Bill 279 (GoSAFE). The author did not accept the committee substitute to amend the near all-encompassing ban on semi-auto firearms with equally ...

Washington Post Pivot to “Personal Liberties and Free Markets” Sparks Skepticism

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Washington Post Pivot to “Personal Liberties and Free Markets” Sparks Skepticism

Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, recently announced to the staff of the newspaper that the publication’s opinion section would henceforth be advocating for “personal liberties and free markets” without contradiction. “I am of ...

Third Circuit Denies Rehearing En Banc in Case Recognizing Carry Rights of Young Adults

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Third Circuit Denies Rehearing En Banc in Case Recognizing Carry Rights of Young Adults

On February 26, the Third Circuit denied a petition for rehearing en banc in Lara v. Paris. That case involves a challenge to Pennsylvania’s law banning 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying firearms during a state of emergency.

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

News  

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

This week, extreme anti-hunting lawmakers testified to restrict coyote hunting in Maine.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.