Facts on the Campus Carry Law
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People holding a valid concealed handgun license will be able to carry concealed handguns on campuses. - A campus includes all land and buildings owned or leased by the university or community college.
- Private institutions will be allowed to “opt out” by adopting broad rules banning weapons on campus, after consultation with faculty, staff, and students.
- Public institutions will be able to limit weapons on campus after consultation with faculty, staff, and students**, but those limits may not have the effect of banning weapons altogether.
- Effective for universities on August 1, 2016.
- Community colleges have until August 1, 2017.
- Open carry is specifically prohibited by this bill.
Although we will go through another Legislative Session, we are not seeing any indication that the legislators will have a different opinion about campus carry.
- The law allows colleges to designate specific locations on campus where guns will NOT be allowed.
- Intent is that colleges will be as permissive and accessible as possible to handgun license holders.
- The bill will not allow colleges to “generally prohibit” campus carry.
- Based on statements made by sponsors of the law, faculty offices, libraries, and classrooms are not what they intended for gun-free zones.
- As during the last session, it is important that if you have strong feelings on this, please contact your State Senator and Representative using your personal time and equipment.
Reasonable Rules, Regulations, or Other Provisions
- Develop based on consultation with faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders
- May not generally prohibit or the effect of generally prohibiting
- Requires the governing board, not later than 90 days after establishment of rules by chancellor to review. May amend or approve with 2/3 vote.
- Rules adopted must be widely distributed to students, staff, and faculty including prominently publishing the provisions on the college’s website.
- If limits on certain areas, the college must give notice as described under Penal Code section 30.06.
- By September 1 of even years, college must submit a report to the legislature and standing legislative committees – describe rules and reasoning for provisions.