Texas law to allow permitless carry

• HB 1927, a permitless carry gun bill, has been signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
• The law, which will go into effect in September, will allow residents to carry handguns in public without licenses or training.
• Five other conservative-led states have passed similar measures earlier this year.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has signed HB 1927, a permitless carry gun bill, into law on Wednesday. The law will go into effect in September.

Individuals 21 and older who can legally possess firearms in the state will be allowed to carry handguns in public places without getting a license or undergoing training.

Earlier this year, five other conservative-led states (Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming) have passed measures allowing some form of permitless carry and expanded gun rights.

Back in April, the Texas governor had already shown support for a bill on permitless carry.

“I support it and I believe it should reach my desk and we should have ‘constitutional carry’ in Texas,” Abbott told WBAP at the time.

Permitless carry is often referred to as “constitutional carry,” referring to the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.”

Republican supporters have argued that certain licensing requirements form an artificial barrier to the citizens’ right to bear arms and have secure access to personal protection in public.

The current Texas law allows residents to openly carry rifles without a license, but handguns, whether openly carried or concealed, require a license.

The licensing process requires residents to undergo a background check, submit a fingerprint, go through a training course, and pass a shooting proficiency test.

Meanwhile, Democrats and some law enforcement officials have expressed concerns regarding permitless carry bills. They have argued that mandatory firearms training helps protect the public. Removing the license requirement would also make it more difficult to determine who is unlawfully carrying a weapon.

The governor’s office is yet to respond to CNN‘s request for comment on the new law.

Source: CNN