By: Burns, Herrero, Guillen	H.B. No. 2137
	(Senate Sponsor - Flores)
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 16, 2019;
	April 17, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State
	Affairs; May 1, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 1, 2019, sent
	to printer.)
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2137	By:  Birdwell

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to an application made by certain retired state and
	federal officers to obtain a license to carry a handgun; waiving a
	fee.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 411.199, Government Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b), (d), (f), and (g) and adding Subsections
	(e) and (e-1) to read as follows:
	(b)  The person shall submit two complete sets of legible and
	classifiable fingerprints and a sworn statement from the head of
	the law enforcement agency employing the applicant. A head of a law
	enforcement agency may not refuse to issue a statement under this
	subsection. If the applicant alleges that the statement is untrue,
	the department shall investigate the validity of the statement.
	The statement must include:
	(1)  the name and rank of the applicant;
	(2)  the status of the applicant before retirement;
	(3)  whether or not the applicant was accused of
	misconduct at the time of the retirement;
	(4)  the physical and mental condition of the
	applicant;
	(5)  the type of weapons the applicant had demonstrated
	proficiency with during the last year of employment;
	(6)  whether the applicant would be eligible for
	reemployment with the agency, and if not, the reasons the applicant
	is not eligible; [and]
	(7)  a recommendation from the agency head regarding
	the issuance of a license under this subchapter; and
	(8)  whether the applicant holds a current certificate
	of proficiency under Section 1701.357, Occupations Code.
	(d)  The department shall waive any fee required [An
	applicant under this section must pay a fee of $25] for a license
	issued under this subchapter to an applicant under this section.
	(e)  An applicant under this section who complies with
	Subsections (b) and (c) or Subsection (g), as applicable, and with
	the other requirements of this subchapter is not required to
	complete the classroom instruction portion of the handgun
	proficiency course described by Section 411.188 to obtain a license
	under this subchapter.
	(e-1)  An applicant described by Subsection (e) who holds a
	current certificate of proficiency under Section 1701.357,
	Occupations Code, is not required to complete the range instruction
	portion of the handgun proficiency course described by Section
	411.188 to obtain a license under this subchapter.
	(f)  A license issued under this subchapter to an applicant
	under this section expires as provided by Section 411.183.
	(g)  A retired officer of the United States who was eligible
	to carry a firearm in the discharge of the officer's official duties
	is eligible to apply under this section for a license issued under
	this subchapter [section]. An applicant described by this
	subsection may submit the application at any time after retirement.
	The applicant shall submit with the application proper proof of
	retired status by presenting the following documents prepared by
	the agency from which the applicant retired:
	(1)  retirement credentials; and
	(2)  a letter from the agency head stating the
	applicant retired in good standing.
	SECTION 2.  Section 411.199, Government Code, as amended by
	this Act, applies only to an application for a license to carry a
	handgun submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An
	application submitted before the effective date of this Act is
	governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
	submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
	purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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