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Read. Follow. Verify.Texas Requires Government Property Contracts to Allow Handgun License Holders
Last action · March 14, 2025: Referred to State AffairsSponsors: Briscoe Cain and 3 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Texas HB 1715 requires state and local government contracts for property use to explicitly prohibit contractors from banning handgun s from entering the property, effective September 1, 2025.
- State legislatures frequently regulate contract requirements and terms for agreements entered into by state agencies and local political subdivisions. context
- Texas law establishes statutory frameworks governing where license holders are permitted to carry handguns, including specific references within the Texas Penal Code and Government Code. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Governmental entities
Must ensure that all contracts for the use of government-owned or leased property include the mandatory handgun provision.
Contractors using government property
Are prohibited from banning lawful handgun license holders from entering or remaining on the contracted property during the term of the agreement.
Handgun license holders
Retain the right to carry handguns on government-owned or leased property utilized by contractors, provided no other statutory prohibition applies.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which entities are required to include this clause in their contracts?
Does this apply to existing government contracts already in effect before September 1, 2025?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 14, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to State Affairs
- Mar 14, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Dec 30, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Standardization of Handgun Rules in Public Contracts
The bill establishes a standardized statewide contract clause prohibiting private or commercial entities operating on public property from restricting legal handgun carriers.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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