HB 1696 House Committee Report

Relating to adding a designation on a person’s driver’s license or commercial driver’s license indicating that the person is licensed to carry a handgun. 

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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 

AN ACT

 

relating to adding a designation on a person’s driver’s license or

 

commercial driver’s license indicating that the person is licensed

 

to carry a handgun.

 

       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 

       SECTION 1.  Section 507.001(b), Business & Commerce Code, is

 

amended to read as follows:

 

       (b)  This section does not affect:

 

             (1)  the requirement to display a handgun license under

 

Section 411.205, Government Code[, that a person subject to that

 

section present a driver’s license or identification certificate in

 

addition to a concealed handgun license]; or

 

             (2)  the types of identification required under federal

 

law to access airport premises or pass through airport security.

 

       SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is

 

amended by adding Section 411.1795 to read as follows:

 

       Sec. 411.1795.  DESIGNATION ON DRIVER’S LICENSE OR

 

COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE. The department shall adopt rules

 

allowing an applicant for an original, duplicate, modified, or

 

renewed license under this subchapter, in addition to being issued

 

an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license, to elect to

 

include on the person’s driver’s license or commercial driver’s

 

license a designation indicating that the person is licensed under

 

this subchapter.  The rules must include procedures to ensure that a

 

person who makes an election under this section:

 

             (1)  receives a designation on the person’s driver’s

 

license or commercial driver’s license only if the person meets the

 

requirements for issuance of the original, duplicate, modified, or

 

renewed handgun license; and

 

             (2)  maintains the designation only during the period

 

for which the person is licensed to carry a handgun under this

 

subchapter.

 

       SECTION 3.  Section 411.205, Government Code, is amended to

 

read as follows:

 

       Sec. 411.205.  REQUIREMENT TO DISPLAY LICENSE. If a license

 

holder is carrying a handgun on or about the license holder’s person

 

when a magistrate or a peace officer demands that the license holder

 

display identification, the license holder shall display:

 

             (1)  either of the following:

 

                   (A)  the license holder’s driver’s license or

 

commercial driver’s license that includes a handgun license

 

designation under Section 521.128 or 522.030, Transportation Code;

 

or

 

                   (B)  both the license holder’s driver’s license,

 

commercial driver’s license, or personal identification

 

certificate issued by the department and the license holder’s

 

handgun license; and

 

             (2)  if the license holder’s handgun license bears a

 

protective order designation, a copy of the applicable court order

 

under which the license holder is protected.

 

       SECTION 4.  Subchapter F, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,

 

is amended by adding Section 521.128 to read as follows:

 

       Sec. 521.128.  HANDGUN LICENSE DESIGNATION.  The department

 

shall include on each driver’s license issued to a person licensed

 

to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government

 

Code, who makes an election under Section 411.1795, Government

 

Code, a designation that shows the person is licensed under that

 

subchapter. The designation must include the person’s handgun

 

license number and a statement of the period for which the handgun

 

license is effective.

 

       SECTION 5.  Section 522.030, Transportation Code, is amended

 

by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

 

       (e)  The department shall include on each commercial

 

driver’s license issued to a person licensed to carry a handgun

 

under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, who makes an

 

election under Section 411.1795, Government Code, a designation

 

that shows the person is licensed under that subchapter.  The

 

designation must include the person’s handgun license number and a

 

statement of the period for which the handgun license is effective.

 

       SECTION 6.  Not later than December 1, 2025, the Department

 

of Public Safety shall adopt the rules required by Section

 

411.1795, Government Code, as added by this Act.

 

       SECTION 7.  (a) Section 411.1795, Government Code, as added

 

by this Act, applies only to an applicant for an original,

 

duplicate, modified, or renewed license to carry a handgun under

 

Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, as amended by this Act,

 

who submits the application on or after January 1, 2026.

 

       (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Chapters 521 and

 

522, Transportation Code, apply only to a driver’s license or

 

commercial driver’s license issued or renewed under Chapter 521 or

 

522, Transportation Code, on or after January 1, 2026.

 

       SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. 

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