Texas House Committee to Consider Ban on Private Firearms Sales at Gun Shows this Week

This Thursday, April 11, the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety will hold a public hearing on House Bill 3143 by state Representative Raphael Anchia (D-Dallas).  HB 3143 would criminalize private firearms sales at gun shows and require them to be conducted through federal firearm licensed dealers (FFLs).  This bill lays the groundwork for FFLs to be able to charge a tax for processing those transfers and imposes vague “recordkeeping” requirements on the seller of the gun.

The prosecution rate of individuals who lie on federal gun purchase forms is already at an abysmal low.  And most criminals acquire firearms by theft, on the black market or through straw purchases – not at gun shows.  So what is the goal of HB 3143?  It is nothing more than gun control advocates’ first step towards the regulation of all private firearm transfers and establishment of a registry of lawful purchasers.

Please call and e-mail members of the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee at their capitol offices and urge them to OPPOSE HB 3143.  Contact information for these Committee members can be found here.

Two NRA-Backed Bills Also Need Your Support - Contact House Calendars Committee Members Today 

Texas has a unique legislative process.  A bill which receives a favorable vote in a House committee is not automatically considered on the House floor.  It simply gets reported to the House Calendars Committee, which decides not just when – but also if – it will be ever be debated by all 150 state Representatives.  Not many bills make it out of House Calendars Committee.  Here are two NRA-backed measures that have been sent to this committee that need your attention:

House Bill 47 by state Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van) would reduce the number of required classroom hours for an original Concealed Handgun License (CHL) from 10 to 6.  This change would make it far more convenient for CHL applicants to obtain a license to carry and exercise their right to self-defense.

House Bill 508 by state Representative Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City) imposes civil fines on state agencies, cities or counties which improperly post 30.06 signs prohibiting CHLs from property which is not off-limits to them under the Texas Penal Code.  It also gives the Texas Attorney General the ability to sue to collect the civil penalties if the offending agency or political subdivision fails to remove the sign after having been notified of a violation. 

Please call and e-mail members of the House Calendars Committee at their capitol offices and urge them to set both HB 47 and HB 508 on the House Calendar as soon as possible.  Contact information for these Committee members can be found here.