Texas Concealed Carry & Prohibited Places

[ExTank]

In a thread on another message board, some folks are outraged that guns are allowed in the state capitol while feminine hygiene products were not (the rule has subsequently been changed).

The gist of this thread is NOT to debate Texas' or abortion politics; please refrain from doing so.

My question: is this true? If I, an ordinary and everyday member of John Q. Public, as a resident of Texas and possessing a current and legitimate CCW license, could literally walk into the state capitol with my EDC by nothing more than showing my current and legitimate CCW license?

Could I enter the observation gallery over the chamber floor and listen to state legislators debate issues and take votes and pass laws?

Could I go to the offices of various state reps., and assuming I did nothing untoward (let's say I have an appointment and am expected), enter their office/reception area/waiting room unimpeded?

Thanks in advance for your answers and input.

ETA: my profile shows I live in Creve Coeur, MO. For purposes of this thread, assume I am a resident of Texas.

 

[dogtown tom]

Yup, happens every day with no problems.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Yep they have a special line for you and off you go, yet the State still forbids us to carry in hospitals and court houses.

 

[burrhead]

That's how it works. The best part is that people that DON"T have a CHL have to go through a metal detector.

 

[GEM]

Been there and done that.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Yep they have a special line for you and off you go, yet the State still forbids us to carry in hospitals and court houses.

The hospital land was changed years ago. You CAN carry in hospitals unless they are duly posted 30.06 or you are personally informed that you cannot carry there...just like any other private property.

 

[SimplyChad]

When did the hospital change?

 

[Coop45]

The hospital land was changed years ago. You CAN carry in hospitals unless they are duly posted 30.06 or you are personally informed that you cannot carry there...just like any other private property.

Check for PC §46.035. You can only carry in a hospital or nursing home with permission from the hospital or nursing home.

 

[JohnKSa]

Check for PC §46.035. You can only carry in a hospital or nursing home with permission from the hospital or nursing home.

That is incorrect. You've fallen victim to the laziness of the TX legislature.

When the law changed, rather than actually rewrite it, they merely added the following line at the bottom of the section of law.

(i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06.​

(b)(4) is the section referring to hospitals, so DNS is correct. You may carry in a hospital unless there is a proper 30.06 sign.

 

[Scott Farkus]

As others have said, we absolutely can carry in the Capitol building and there is a special line that CHL holders use to by-pass the metal detectors. Many journalists, lobbyists, and others who are at the Capitol a lot have a CHL for this very reason (they don't necessarily carry, they just take advantage of the quicker by-pass line).

There is more to the tampon confiscation story but I will respect the OP's wishes not to turn this into a political thread.

 

[ShelbyV8]

I can carry in City Hall even in city council meetings, but I can't carry in the police dept (30.06) warning.

 

[Scott Farkus]

Government meetings can be posted 30.06 (don't have to be, but can be). I believe certain secure areas of police departments are statutorily off-limits, same as courthouses, schools and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. Otherwise, government buildings can't prohibit concealed carry, though many (including Austin City Hall barely 1 mile from the Capitol) try to by posting a technically invalid 30.06 sign. The problem is there is no teeth in that particular section of the CHL statute so the local governments have no incentive to comply with it.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

When did the hospital change?

I believe the change to the law was in 2007.

 

[bdickens]

That is absolutely true.

Incidentally, it seems as though no one is throwing guns at people in and around the State Capital but they are throwing tampons. Maybe that's the reason.

 

[Dframe]

I used to walk through our capitol armed almost every day (This was when CC was only a distant dream, I was a LEO). Then a madman went into our capitol and killed an unarmed guard. Now they have metal detectors and all kinds of security.

 

[Coop45]

That is incorrect. You've fallen victim to the laziness of the TX legislature.

When the law changed, rather than actually rewrite it, they merely added the following line at the bottom of the section of law.

(i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06.​

(b)(4) is the section referring to hospitals, so DNS is correct. You may carry in a hospital unless there is a proper 30.06 sign.

Thanks, I was wrong.

 

[ExTank]

Thanks again for the quick, factual responses.

Since my question has been answered to my satisfaction, I have asked the mods to close this thread.

Happy Trails, y'all!

 

[Frank Ettin]

We seem to be done here.