Texans aged 21 and older who legally own a gun can now publicly carry their firearm in the state without documentation.
House Bill 127, also known as the "permitless carry" law allows residents to openly carry handguns without licensing or training so long as they are not prohibited by state or federal law.
"Texas safeguards the 2nd Amendment. Today, Constitutional Carry goes into effect. Texans who legally own a gun are now allowed to carry it in public. No license or training is needed," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a tweet.
According to a KVUE report, Abbott signed the law as a compromise was reached between lawmakers in the Texas House and Senate, removing a provision preventing officers from questioning an individual possessing a handgun without further reasonable cause. As many gun control advocates opposed the concept of an unlicensed carry, a Texas Tribune poll from May found 59% of all Texas voters opposed the idea, with many stating the state should impose both criminal and mental background checks before any gun sale.
"Weakening regulations and effectively eliminating training requirements is not the direction we should be going right now," Austin Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon told KVUE.
The amended law states an officer may disarm an individual at any time they believe it is necessary for the protection of themselves, the carrier or any other individuals or when the person enters a "nonpublic," secure portion of a law enforcement facility. If it is determined the individual does not pose any threat nor have they been convicted of any arrestable offenses, the office must promptly return the fire arm to its owner before discharge.
"It’s reasonable and important to ask that someone carrying a firearm in public know how to safely handle and store a gun and have a basic awareness of the laws related to weapons and the use of deadly force," Chacon told KVUE. "Stripping away those safeguards will make our streets less safe, and they will make law enforcement’s jobs harder."
Chacon told KVUE that the City of Austin has seen a 124% increase in gun-related crimes, including shootings, murders, aggravated assault and robberies, from 2015 to 2020. Prior to the new law, Texans had been required to take a training class, pass a written exam and a shooting test and submit fingerprints before being licensed to carry a handgun, KVUE reports.
With the new bill in effect, residents can legally purchase and carry their firearm without any of the previously needed steps.
Those who are currently prohibited from possessing a firearm by state and federal laws will not gain the right to do so under these changes, the bill text states. This includes any individuals previously convicted of a felony or certain Class A misdemeanor assault offenses involving a member of that person's family or household.