Bill > HB3138

This bill expands existing Texas law to include archery equipment (defined as long bows, recurved bows, compound bows, crossbows, and their associated components and accessories) alongside firearms and air guns in regulations concerning municipal and county governance. The legislation restricts local governments from adopting or enforcing regulations related to the transfer, possession, ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, registration, and commerce of archery equipment. Municipalities and counties are specifically prohibited from requiring owners of archery equipment to obtain liability insurance for potential damages. The bill maintains existing exceptions that allow local governments to regulate certain aspects of weapon use, such as discharge within city limits, carrying weapons in specific public spaces, and regulating sport shooting range operations. Additionally, the bill modifies a provision related to hunting with bows and arrows in county subdivisions, reducing the minimum lot size from 10 acres to 7 acres where hunting can be regulated. The changes apply to ordinances and regulations adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date, which will be either immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote in the Texas Legislature or September 1, 2025, if that threshold is not met.