HB 1556

relating to prohibiting the transfer of certain semiautomatic
rifles to certain recipients; creating a criminal offense;
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 46.06, Penal Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (c-1)
(a)  A person commits an offense if the person:
(1)  sells, rents, leases, loans, or gives a handgun to
any person knowing that the person to whom the handgun is to be
delivered intends to use it unlawfully or in the commission of an
(2)  intentionally or knowingly sells, rents, leases,
or gives or offers to sell, rent, lease, or give:
(A)  to a [any] child younger than 18 years of age
a [any firearm,] club, [or] location-restricted knife, or firearm
other than a semiautomatic rifle described by Paragraph (B); or
(B)  to a person younger than 21 years of age a
semiautomatic rifle that is capable of accepting a detachable
magazine and that has a caliber greater than .22;
(3)  intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly sells a
firearm or ammunition for a firearm to any person who is
(4)  knowingly sells a firearm or ammunition for a
firearm to any person who has been convicted of a felony before the
fifth anniversary of the later of the following dates:
(A)  the person's release from confinement
following conviction of the felony; or
(B)  the person's release from supervision under
community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision following
(5)  sells, rents, leases, loans, or gives a handgun to
any person knowing that an active protective order is directed to
the person to whom the handgun is to be delivered;
(6)  knowingly purchases, rents, leases, or receives as
a loan or gift from another a handgun while an active protective
order is directed to the actor; or
(7)  while prohibited from possessing a firearm under
state or federal law, knowingly makes a material false statement on
(A)  required by state or federal law for the
purchase, sale, or other transfer of a firearm; and
(B)  submitted to a firearms dealer licensed under
(c)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under
Subsection (a)(2)(A) [(a)(2)] that the transfer was to a minor
whose parent or the person having legal custody of the minor had
given written permission for the sale or, if the transfer was other
than a sale, the parent or person having legal custody had given
(c-1)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection
(1)  the semiautomatic rifle is transferred to a
(B)  is currently serving in or has been honorably
discharged from the United States armed forces; or
(2)  the transfer of the semiautomatic rifle is a
temporary loan to a person who is to carry or use the semiautomatic
(A)  while in the presence of the transferor;
(B)  while on property owned or leased by the
(C)  on the premises of a sport shooting range, as
defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, and solely for
the purpose of shooting targets at the range;
(D)  for the purpose of lawful hunting or
sporting, or for lawful recreational activity; or
(E)  at a lawful competition involving the use of
(d)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,
(1)  an offense under Subsection (a)(2)(A) [(a)(2)] is
a state jail felony if the weapon that is the subject of the offense
(2)  an offense under Subsection (a)(2)(B) or (a)(7) is
SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.