|  | 
         
            |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
         
            |  | AN ACT | 
         
            |  | relating to the authority of a municipality or county to regulate | 
         
            |  | certain matters related to firearms, air guns, archery equipment, | 
         
            |  | and other weapons and related supplies. | 
         
            |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
            |  | SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 229.001, Local Government | 
         
            |  | Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | Sec. 229.001.  FIREARMS; AIR GUNS; ARCHERY EQUIPMENT; | 
         
            |  | KNIVES; EXPLOSIVES. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 2.  Sections 229.001(a), (b), (b-1), (c), and (d), | 
         
            |  | Local Government Code, are amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (a)  Notwithstanding any other law, including Section 43.002 | 
         
            |  | of this code and Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, a municipality may | 
         
            |  | not adopt or enforce regulations that: | 
         
            |  | (1)  relate to: | 
         
            |  | (A)  the transfer, possession, wearing, carrying, | 
         
            |  | ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, or registration of | 
         
            |  | firearms, air guns, archery equipment, knives, ammunition, or | 
         
            |  | firearm or air gun supplies or accessories; | 
         
            |  | (B)  commerce in firearms, air guns, archery | 
         
            |  | equipment, knives, ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or | 
         
            |  | accessories; or | 
         
            |  | (C)  the discharge of a firearm, [ or] air gun, or | 
         
            |  | archery equipment at a sport shooting range; or | 
         
            |  | (2)  require an owner of a firearm or archery equipment | 
         
            |  | to obtain liability insurance coverage for damages resulting from | 
         
            |  | negligent or wilful acts involving the use of the firearm or archery | 
         
            |  | equipment. | 
         
            |  | (b)  Subsection (a) does not affect the authority a | 
         
            |  | municipality has under another law to: | 
         
            |  | (1)  require residents or public employees to be armed | 
         
            |  | for personal or national defense, law enforcement, or another | 
         
            |  | lawful purpose; | 
         
            |  | (2)  regulate the discharge of firearms, [ or] air guns, | 
         
            |  | or archery equipment  within the limits of the municipality, other | 
         
            |  | than at a sport shooting range; | 
         
            |  | (3)  except as provided by Subsection (b-1), adopt or | 
         
            |  | enforce a generally applicable zoning ordinance, land use | 
         
            |  | regulation, fire code, or business ordinance; | 
         
            |  | (4)  regulate the storage or transportation of | 
         
            |  | explosives to protect public health and safety, except that 25 | 
         
            |  | pounds or less of black powder for each private residence and 50 | 
         
            |  | pounds or less of black powder for each retail dealer are not | 
         
            |  | subject to regulation; | 
         
            |  | (5)  regulate the carrying of an air gun, archery | 
         
            |  | equipment, or firearm, other than a handgun carried by a person not | 
         
            |  | otherwise prohibited by law from carrying a handgun, at a: | 
         
            |  | (A)  public park; | 
         
            |  | (B)  public meeting of a municipality, county, or | 
         
            |  | other governmental body; | 
         
            |  | (C)  political rally, parade, or official | 
         
            |  | political meeting; or | 
         
            |  | (D)  nonfirearms-related school, college, or | 
         
            |  | professional athletic event; | 
         
            |  | (6)  regulate the carrying of a firearm by a person | 
         
            |  | licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, | 
         
            |  | Government Code, in accordance with Section 411.209, Government | 
         
            |  | Code; | 
         
            |  | (7)  regulate the hours of operation of a sport | 
         
            |  | shooting range, except that the hours of operation may not be more | 
         
            |  | limited than the least limited hours of operation of any other | 
         
            |  | business in the municipality other than a business permitted or | 
         
            |  | licensed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises | 
         
            |  | consumption; | 
         
            |  | (8)  regulate the carrying of an air gun by a minor on: | 
         
            |  | (A)  public property; or | 
         
            |  | (B)  private property without consent of the | 
         
            |  | property owner; or | 
         
            |  | (9)  except as provided by Subsection (d-1), regulate | 
         
            |  | or prohibit an employee's carrying or possession of a firearm, | 
         
            |  | firearm accessory, or ammunition in the course of the employee's | 
         
            |  | official duties. | 
         
            |  | (b-1)  The exception provided by Subsection (b)(3) does not | 
         
            |  | apply if the ordinance or regulation is designed or enforced to | 
         
            |  | effectively restrict or prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase, | 
         
            |  | transfer, or display of archery equipment, firearms, firearm | 
         
            |  | accessories, or ammunition that is otherwise lawful in this state. | 
         
            |  | (c)  The exception provided by Subsection (b)(5) does not | 
         
            |  | apply: | 
         
            |  | (1)  if the firearm, [ or] air gun, or archery equipment | 
         
            |  | is in or is carried to or from an area designated for use in a lawful | 
         
            |  | hunting, fishing, or other sporting event and the firearm, [ or] air | 
         
            |  | gun, or archery equipment is of the type commonly used in the | 
         
            |  | activity; or | 
         
            |  | (2)  to a person licensed to carry a handgun under | 
         
            |  | Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code. | 
         
            |  | (d)  Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize | 
         
            |  | the seizure or confiscation of any firearm, air gun, archery | 
         
            |  | equipment, knife, ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or | 
         
            |  | accessories from an individual who is lawfully carrying or | 
         
            |  | possessing the firearm, air gun, archery equipment, knife, | 
         
            |  | ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or accessories. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 3.  Section 229.001(e), Local Government Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended by adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (2-a) "Archery equipment" means a long bow, recurved | 
         
            |  | bow, compound bow, or crossbow.  The term includes an arrow and a | 
         
            |  | component part or accessory of an arrow, bow, or crossbow. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 4.  Section 235.042(a), Local Government Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (a)  To promote the public safety, the commissioners court of | 
         
            |  | a county by order may prohibit or otherwise regulate hunting with | 
         
            |  | bows and arrows on lots that are smaller than seven [ 10] acres [or  | 
         
            |  | smaller] and are located in the unincorporated area of the county in | 
         
            |  | a subdivision. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 5.  The heading to Chapter 236, Local Government | 
         
            |  | Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | CHAPTER 236.  COUNTY REGULATION OF FIREARMS, ARCHERY EQUIPMENT, | 
         
            |  | KNIVES, AMMUNITION, FIREARM SUPPLIES, AND SPORT SHOOTING RANGES | 
         
            |  | SECTION 6.  Section 236.001, Local Government Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended by adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (3)  "Archery equipment" has the meaning assigned by | 
         
            |  | Section 229.001. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 7.  The heading to Section 236.002, Local Government | 
         
            |  | Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | Sec. 236.002.  FIREARMS; AIR GUNS; ARCHERY EQUIPMENT; SPORT | 
         
            |  | SHOOTING RANGE. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 8.  Section 236.002(a), Local Government Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (a)  Notwithstanding any other law, including Chapter 251, | 
         
            |  | Agriculture Code, a county may not adopt or enforce regulations | 
         
            |  | that: | 
         
            |  | (1)  relate to: | 
         
            |  | (A)  the transfer, possession, wearing, carrying, | 
         
            |  | ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, or registration of | 
         
            |  | firearms, air guns, archery equipment, knives, ammunition, or | 
         
            |  | firearm or air gun supplies or accessories; | 
         
            |  | (B)  commerce in firearms, air guns, archery | 
         
            |  | equipment, knives, ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or | 
         
            |  | accessories; or | 
         
            |  | (C)  the discharge of a firearm, [ or] air gun, or | 
         
            |  | archery equipment at a sport shooting range; or | 
         
            |  | (2)  require an owner of a firearm or archery equipment | 
         
            |  | to obtain liability insurance coverage for damages resulting from | 
         
            |  | negligent or wilful acts involving the use of the firearm or archery | 
         
            |  | equipment. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 9.  Sections 342.003(a) and (b), Local Government | 
         
            |  | Code, are amended to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | (a)  The governing body of the municipality may: | 
         
            |  | (1)  prohibit dangerous chimneys, flues, fireplaces, | 
         
            |  | stovepipes, ovens, and other apparatus used in or about any | 
         
            |  | building, and require the apparatus to be removed or placed in a | 
         
            |  | safe condition; | 
         
            |  | (2)  prohibit the unsafe deposit of ashes; | 
         
            |  | (3)  appoint officers who may enter any building or | 
         
            |  | enclosure to examine and determine whether it is in a dangerous | 
         
            |  | condition and, if the building or enclosure is in a dangerous | 
         
            |  | condition, require that it be put in a safe condition; | 
         
            |  | (4)  require the inhabitant of a building to maintain | 
         
            |  | as many fire buckets and means of access to the roof as prescribed | 
         
            |  | by the governing body, and regulate the use of those items in the | 
         
            |  | event of a fire; | 
         
            |  | (5)  require the owner or occupant of a building to | 
         
            |  | maintain access to the roof and to stairs or ladders that lead to | 
         
            |  | the roof; | 
         
            |  | (6)  prohibit or otherwise regulate factories and other | 
         
            |  | works that pose a danger of promoting or causing fires; | 
         
            |  | (7)  prohibit or otherwise regulate the erection of | 
         
            |  | cotton presses and sheds; | 
         
            |  | (8)  prohibit or otherwise regulate the use of | 
         
            |  | fireworks [ and firearms]; | 
         
            |  | (9)  prohibit, direct, or otherwise regulate the | 
         
            |  | keeping and management of buildings within the municipality that | 
         
            |  | are used to store gunpowder or other combustible, explosive, or | 
         
            |  | dangerous materials, and regulate the keeping and conveying of | 
         
            |  | those materials; | 
         
            |  | (10)  regulate the building of parapet or party walls; | 
         
            |  | (11)  authorize the mayor or other municipal officers, | 
         
            |  | including the officers of fire companies, to keep away from the | 
         
            |  | vicinity of any fire all idle, disorderly, or suspicious persons, | 
         
            |  | and to arrest and confine those persons; | 
         
            |  | (12)  compel municipal officers and all other persons | 
         
            |  | to aid in extinguishing fires, preserving property exposed to the | 
         
            |  | danger of fire, and preventing theft; and | 
         
            |  | (13)  adopt other rules for the prevention and | 
         
            |  | extinguishment of fires as the governing body considers necessary. | 
         
            |  | (b)  Subsection (a)(9) [ (a)(8) or (9)] does not authorize a | 
         
            |  | municipality to adopt any prohibition or other regulation in | 
         
            |  | violation of Section 229.001. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 10.  The changes in law made by this Act apply to an | 
         
            |  | ordinance, order, regulation, or other measure adopted before, on, | 
         
            |  | or after the effective date of this Act. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect immediately if it | 
         
            |  | receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each | 
         
            |  | house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. | 
         
            |  | If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate | 
         
            |  | effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |