HBA-DMD H.B. 2644 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2644 By: Uher Public Safety 4/7/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current state law, an honorably retired peace officer who has been employed at one agency for no less than ten years and who is eligible for a pension may apply for a concealed handgun permit within one year of retirement at a reduced application fee. However, the current definition of "honorably retired" does not take into consideration those peace officers who were forced to retire before completing ten years of service due to an injury received in the line of duty and those officers that served in smaller communities that do not offer pensions or annuities for their retired officers. H.B. 2644 authorizes a peace officer who has been employed full-time as a peace officer by a law enforcement agency to apply for a license to carry a concealed handgun at any time after retirement. This bill also deletes the provision stating that the application for a license must be made no later than the first anniversary after the date of retirement. It also modifies the definition of "honorably discharged" to include those peace officers who were ineligible to retire due to an injury received in the line of duty and those peace officers who are not entitled to receive a pension or annuity because their law enforcement agency does not offer pensions or annuities for their retired officers. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 411.199(a) and (c), Government Code, as follows: (a) Authorizes a person who is licensed as a peace officer under Chapter 415 (Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education), Government Code, and who has been employed full-time as a peace officer by a law enforcement agency to apply for a license to carry a concealed handgun at any time after retirement, rather than on retirement. Deletes the provision stating that the application for a license must be made no later than the first anniversary after the date of retirement. (c) Modifies the existing definition of "honorably retired" in this subsection. SECTION 2.Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4.Emergency clause.