|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the regulation of certain firearm transfers; creating |
|
criminal offenses. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Title 6, Business & Commerce Code, is amended by |
|
adding Chapter 205 to read as follows: |
|
CHAPTER 205. REGULATION OF FIREARM TRANSFERS |
|
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
|
Sec. 205.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
(1) "Department" means the Department of Public |
|
Safety. |
|
(2) "Firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section |
|
46.01, Penal Code. |
|
(3) "Licensed firearms dealer" means a person who is |
|
licensed as a firearms dealer under 18 U.S.C. Section 923. |
|
SUBCHAPTER B. REGULATION OF PRIVATE FIREARM TRANSFERS |
|
Sec. 205.051. DOCUMENTATION OF PRIVATE FIREARM TRANSFERS. |
|
(a) The department by rule shall adopt a form to document the sale |
|
or other transfer of a firearm by a person who is not a licensed |
|
firearms dealer. |
|
(b) The form adopted under Subsection (a) must include: |
|
(1) the name, driver's license or personal |
|
identification certificate number, if any, and contact information |
|
of the person selling or transferring the firearm; |
|
(2) the name, driver's license or personal |
|
identification certificate number, if any, and contact information |
|
of the person to whom the firearm is being sold or transferred; |
|
(3) the type of firearm and serial number of the |
|
firearm being sold or transferred; and |
|
(4) any other information the department considers |
|
necessary to document the sale or transfer. |
|
Sec. 205.052. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIVATE |
|
FIREARM TRANSFERS. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), a person may not |
|
sell or otherwise transfer a firearm to another person unless the |
|
person is a licensed firearms dealer. |
|
(b) Subject to Section 205.053, a person who is not a |
|
licensed firearms dealer may sell or otherwise transfer a firearm |
|
to another person only if the transferor: |
|
(1) documents the transfer on the form adopted by the |
|
department under Section 205.051; and |
|
(2) submits the form described by Subdivision (1) to |
|
the department not later than the 30th day after the date of the |
|
transfer. |
|
(c) A person who violates this section commits an offense. |
|
An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. |
|
Sec. 205.053. VOLUME LIMITATIONS ON PRIVATE FIREARM |
|
TRANSFERS. (a) A person may not sell or otherwise transfer more |
|
than five firearms to one or more persons each year unless the |
|
transferor is a licensed firearms dealer. |
|
(b) A person who violates this section commits an offense. |
|
An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. |
|
(c) This section does not apply to: |
|
(1) a transfer of a firearm to a person by inheritance |
|
or bequest on the death of the owner of the firearm; or |
|
(2) a sale or other transfer of a firearm by the owner |
|
of the firearm if the transferor and the transferee are related |
|
within the third degree by consanguinity or within the second |
|
degree by affinity, as determined under Chapter 573, Government |
|
Code. |
|
SUBCHAPTER C. NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK FOR |
|
PRIVATE TRANSFER OF FIREARMS |
|
Sec. 205.101. NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK |
|
REQUIRED FOR PRIVATE TRANSFER OF FIREARMS. A person may not sell or |
|
otherwise transfer a firearm to another person unless: |
|
(1) the person is a licensed firearms dealer; |
|
(2) the person transfers the firearm to a licensed |
|
firearms dealer; or |
|
(3) before the firearm is delivered to the person to |
|
whom the firearm is being transferred, the person transferring the |
|
firearm delivers the firearm to a licensed firearms dealer to |
|
retain possession of the firearm until the dealer conducts a |
|
national instant criminal background check in the manner required |
|
by 18 U.S.C. Section 922 and verifies that the proposed transferee |
|
may lawfully possess a firearm. |
|
Sec. 205.102. DUTIES OF LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER. (a) If a |
|
licensed firearms dealer receives a firearm under Section |
|
205.101(3), the dealer shall conduct a national instant criminal |
|
background check in the manner required by 18 U.S.C. Section 922 to |
|
verify that the person to whom the firearm is being transferred may |
|
lawfully possess the firearm. The transfer may not occur until the |
|
dealer completes the background check required by this subchapter. |
|
(b) If a licensed firearms dealer determines that the |
|
proposed transferee may not lawfully possess a firearm, the dealer |
|
shall return the firearm to the person who delivered the firearm to |
|
the dealer under Section 205.101(3). |
|
(c) A licensed firearms dealer to whom a firearm is |
|
delivered under Section 205.101(3) may collect a reasonable fee |
|
from the person who delivered the firearm to the dealer. |
|
Sec. 205.103. OFFENSE. A person who violates this |
|
subchapter commits an offense. An offense under this section is a |
|
Class A misdemeanor. |
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |