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          A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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          AN ACT
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        relating to the authority of certain retired peace officers and  | 
      
      
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        former reserve law enforcement officers to carry certain firearms. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is  | 
      
      
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        amended by adding Section 411.1992 to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 411.1992.  FORMER RESERVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.   | 
      
      
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        (a)  A person who served as a reserve law enforcement officer, as  | 
      
      
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        defined by Section 1701.001, Occupations Code, not less than a  | 
      
      
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        total of 15 years with one or more state or local law enforcement  | 
      
      
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        agencies may apply for a license under this subchapter at any time. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The applicant shall submit to the department two  | 
      
      
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        complete sets of legible and classifiable fingerprints and a sworn  | 
      
      
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        statement from the head of the law enforcement agency at which the  | 
      
      
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        applicant last served as a reserve law enforcement officer.  A head  | 
      
      
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        of a law enforcement agency may not refuse to issue a statement  | 
      
      
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        under this subsection.  If the applicant alleges that the statement  | 
      
      
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        is untrue, the department shall investigate the validity of the  | 
      
      
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        statement.  The statement must include: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  the name and rank of the applicant; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  the status of the applicant; | 
      
      
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                     (3)  whether the applicant was accused of misconduct at  | 
      
      
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        any time during the applicant's term of service and the disposition  | 
      
      
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        of that accusation; | 
      
      
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                     (4)  a description of the physical and mental condition  | 
      
      
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        of the applicant; | 
      
      
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                     (5)  a list of the types of weapons the applicant  | 
      
      
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        demonstrated proficiency with during the applicant's term of  | 
      
      
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        service; and | 
      
      
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                     (6)  a recommendation from the agency head regarding  | 
      
      
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        the issuance of a license under this subchapter. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The department may issue a license under this subchapter  | 
      
      
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        to an applicant under this section if the applicant was a reserve  | 
      
      
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        law enforcement officer for not less than a total of 15 years with  | 
      
      
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        one or more state or local law enforcement agencies and is  | 
      
      
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        physically and emotionally fit to possess a handgun. | 
      
      
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               (d)  An applicant under this section must pay a fee of $25 for  | 
      
      
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        a license issued under this subchapter. | 
      
      
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               (e)  A former reserve law enforcement officer who obtains a  | 
      
      
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        license as provided by this section must maintain, for the category  | 
      
      
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        of weapon licensed, the proficiency required for the person under  | 
      
      
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        Section 1701.357, Occupations Code.  The department or the local  | 
      
      
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        law enforcement agency at which the person last served as a reserve  | 
      
      
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        law enforcement officer shall allow the person an opportunity to  | 
      
      
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        annually demonstrate the required proficiency.  The proficiency  | 
      
      
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        shall be reported to the department on application and renewal. | 
      
      
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               (f)  A license issued under this section expires as provided  | 
      
      
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        by Section 411.183. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 1701.357, Occupations  | 
      
      
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        Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 1701.357.  WEAPONS PROFICIENCY FOR CERTAIN RETIRED  | 
      
      
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        PEACE OFFICERS AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FOR FORMER  | 
      
      
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        RESERVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  Section 1701.357, Occupations Code, is amended  | 
      
      
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        by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) and adding  | 
      
      
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        Subsections (b-1), (c-1), and (j) to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  This section applies only to: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  a peace officer; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  a federal criminal investigator designated as a  | 
      
      
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        special investigator under Article 2.122, Code of Criminal  | 
      
      
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        Procedure; [and] | 
      
      
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                     (3)  a qualified retired law enforcement officer who is  | 
      
      
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        entitled to carry a concealed firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 926C  | 
      
      
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        and is not otherwise described by Subdivision (1) or (2); and | 
      
      
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                     (4)  a former reserve law enforcement officer who  | 
      
      
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        served in that capacity not less than a total of 15 years with one or  | 
      
      
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        more state or local law enforcement agencies. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The head of a state or local law enforcement agency may  | 
      
      
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        allow an honorably retired peace officer an opportunity to  | 
      
      
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        demonstrate weapons proficiency if the retired officer provides to  | 
      
      
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        the agency a sworn affidavit stating that: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  the officer: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  honorably retired after not less than a total  | 
      
      
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        of 15 years of service as a commissioned officer with one or more  | 
      
      
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        state or local law enforcement agencies; or | 
      
      
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                           (B)  before completing 15 years of service as a  | 
      
      
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        commissioned officer with one or more state or local law  | 
      
      
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        enforcement agencies, separated from employment with the agency or  | 
      
      
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        agencies and is a qualified retired law enforcement officer, as  | 
      
      
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        defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 926C; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  the officer's license as a commissioned officer  | 
      
      
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        was not revoked or suspended for any period during the officer's  | 
      
      
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        term of service as a commissioned officer; and | 
      
      
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                     (3)  the officer has no psychological or physical  | 
      
      
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        disability that would interfere with the officer's proper handling  | 
      
      
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        of a handgun. | 
      
      
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               (b-1)  The head of a state or local law enforcement agency  | 
      
      
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        may allow a person who served as a reserve law enforcement officer  | 
      
      
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        as described by Subsection (a)(4) an opportunity to demonstrate  | 
      
      
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        weapons proficiency if the person provides to the agency a sworn  | 
      
      
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        affidavit stating that: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  the person served not less than a total of 15 years  | 
      
      
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        as a reserve law enforcement officer with one or more state or local  | 
      
      
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        law enforcement agencies; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  the person's appointment as a reserve law  | 
      
      
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        enforcement officer was not revoked or suspended for any period  | 
      
      
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        during the person's term of service; and | 
      
      
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                     (3)  the person has no psychological or physical  | 
      
      
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        disability that would interfere with the person's proper handling  | 
      
      
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        of a handgun. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The agency shall establish written procedures for the  | 
      
      
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        issuance or denial of a certificate of proficiency under this  | 
      
      
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        section.  The agency shall issue the certificate to a retired  | 
      
      
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        officer who satisfactorily demonstrates weapons proficiency under  | 
      
      
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        Subsection (b), provides proof that the officer is entitled to  | 
      
      
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        receive a pension or annuity for service with a state or local law  | 
      
      
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        enforcement agency or is not entitled to receive a pension or  | 
      
      
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        annuity only because the law enforcement agency that employed the  | 
      
      
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        retired officer does not offer a pension or annuity to its retired  | 
      
      
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        employees, and satisfies the written procedures established by the  | 
      
      
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        agency.  The agency shall issue the certificate to a person  | 
      
      
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        described by Subsection (a)(4)  who satisfactorily demonstrates  | 
      
      
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        weapons proficiency under Subsection (b-1).  The agency shall  | 
      
      
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        maintain records of any person [retired officer] who holds a  | 
      
      
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        certificate issued under this section. | 
      
      
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               (c-1)  For purposes of Subsection (c) [this subsection],  | 
      
      
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        proof that a retired officer is entitled to receive a pension or  | 
      
      
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        annuity or is not entitled to receive a pension or annuity only  | 
      
      
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        because the agency that last employed the retired officer does not  | 
      
      
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        offer a pension or annuity may include a retired peace officer  | 
      
      
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        identification card issued under Subchapter H, Chapter 614,  | 
      
      
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        Government Code. | 
      
      
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               (d)  A certificate issued under this section expires on the  | 
      
      
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        second anniversary of the date the certificate was issued.  A  | 
      
      
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        person [retired officer] to whom this section applies may request  | 
      
      
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        an annual evaluation of weapons proficiency and issuance of a  | 
      
      
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        certificate of proficiency as needed to comply with applicable  | 
      
      
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        federal or other laws. | 
      
      
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               (j)  On request of a person described by Subsection (a)(4)  | 
      
      
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        who holds a certificate of proficiency under this section, the head  | 
      
      
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        of the state or local law enforcement agency at which the person  | 
      
      
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        last served as a reserve law enforcement officer shall issue to the  | 
      
      
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        person identification that indicates the person's status.  An  | 
      
      
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        identification under this subsection must include a photograph of  | 
      
      
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        the person. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 4.  Section 46.15(a), Penal Code, is amended to read  | 
      
      
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        as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  peace officers or special investigators under  | 
      
      
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        Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, and neither section  | 
      
      
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        prohibits a peace officer or special investigator from carrying a  | 
      
      
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        weapon in this state, including in an establishment in this state  | 
      
      
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        serving the public, regardless of whether the peace officer or  | 
      
      
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        special investigator is engaged in the actual discharge of the  | 
      
      
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        officer's or investigator's duties while carrying the weapon; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  parole officers and neither section prohibits an  | 
      
      
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        officer from carrying a weapon in this state if the officer is: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  engaged in the actual discharge of the  | 
      
      
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        officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and | 
      
      
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                           (B)  in compliance with policies and procedures  | 
      
      
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        adopted by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice regarding the  | 
      
      
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        possession of a weapon by an officer while on duty; | 
      
      
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                     (3)  community supervision and corrections department  | 
      
      
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        officers appointed or employed under Section 76.004, Government  | 
      
      
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        Code, and neither section prohibits an officer from carrying a  | 
      
      
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        weapon in this state if the officer is: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  engaged in the actual discharge of the  | 
      
      
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        officer's duties while carrying the weapon; and | 
      
      
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                           (B)  authorized to carry a weapon under Section  | 
      
      
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        76.0051, Government Code; | 
      
      
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                     (4)  an active judicial officer as defined by Section  | 
      
      
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        411.201, Government Code, who is licensed to carry a concealed  | 
      
      
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        handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code; | 
      
      
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                     (5)  an honorably retired peace officer, qualified  | 
      
      
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        retired law enforcement officer, [or] federal criminal  | 
      
      
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        investigator, or former reserve law enforcement officer who holds a  | 
      
      
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        certificate of proficiency issued under Section 1701.357,  | 
      
      
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        Occupations Code, and is carrying a photo identification that is  | 
      
      
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        issued by a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, as  | 
      
      
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        applicable, and that[:
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                           [(A)]  verifies that the officer is: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  an honorably retired peace officer; | 
      
      
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                           (B)  a qualified retired law enforcement officer; | 
      
      
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                           (C)  a federal criminal investigator; or | 
      
      
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                           (D)  a former reserve law enforcement officer who  | 
      
      
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        has served in that capacity not less than a total of 15 years with  | 
      
      
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        one or more state or local law enforcement agencies [after not less 
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          than 15 years of service as a commissioned officer; and
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                           [(B)
           
           
          is issued by a state or local law 
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          enforcement agency]; | 
      
      
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                     (6)  a district attorney, criminal district attorney,  | 
      
      
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        county attorney, or municipal attorney who is licensed to carry a  | 
      
      
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        concealed handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code; | 
      
      
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                     (7)  an assistant district attorney, assistant  | 
      
      
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        criminal district attorney, or assistant county attorney who is  | 
      
      
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        licensed to carry a concealed handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter  | 
      
      
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        411, Government Code; | 
      
      
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                     (8)  a bailiff designated by an active judicial officer  | 
      
      
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        as defined by Section 411.201, Government Code, who is: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  licensed to carry a concealed handgun under  | 
      
      
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        Chapter 411, Government Code; and | 
      
      
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                           (B)  engaged in escorting the judicial officer; or | 
      
      
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                     (9)  a juvenile probation officer who is authorized to  | 
      
      
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        carry a firearm under Section 142.006, Human Resources Code. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 5.  The change in law made by this Act to Section  | 
      
      
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        46.15, Penal Code, applies only to an offense committed on or after  | 
      
      
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        the effective date of this Act.  An offense committed before the  | 
      
      
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        effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the  | 
      
      
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        date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in  | 
      
      
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        effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this section, an offense  | 
      
      
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        was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element  | 
      
      
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        of the offense occurred before that date. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | 
      
      
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        * * * * * |