Bill > HB3480

This bill requires that any contract for the use of property owned or leased by a governmental entity (which includes state agencies, courts, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions) must include a specific statement allowing licensed handgun holders to carry their firearms on the property. The mandatory contract language prevents the contractor from prohibiting license holders who are legally carrying a handgun under Texas law from entering or remaining on the property, unless those gun holders would otherwise be legally prohibited from carrying firearms in that specific location under existing penal code restrictions. The bill defines a "governmental entity" broadly to encompass various levels and branches of government, and it will apply to new contracts and to existing contracts when they are renewed, modified, or extended on or after the effective date of September 1, 2025. This legislation appears aimed at protecting the rights of handgun license holders to carry firearms in government-associated spaces while still maintaining existing legal limitations on gun possession in certain sensitive areas.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB3480