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          A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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          AN ACT
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        relating to a public awareness campaign on firearm safety and  | 
      
      
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        suicide prevention. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is  | 
      
      
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        amended by adding Section 411.210 to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 411.210.  FIREARM SAFETY AND SUICIDE PREVENTION PUBLIC  | 
      
      
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        AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.  (a)  The department, in conjunction with the  | 
      
      
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        Department of State Health Services, the Parks and Wildlife  | 
      
      
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        Department, and other appropriate agencies, shall develop and  | 
      
      
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        implement a public awareness campaign designed to encourage firearm  | 
      
      
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        safety and to improve public awareness on the topics of: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  prevention of firearm accidents involving  | 
      
      
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        children; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  suicide prevention; and | 
      
      
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                     (3)  the safe handling and storage of firearms. | 
      
      
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               (b)  In implementing the campaign, the department may engage  | 
      
      
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        in online advocacy, issue public service announcements, and  | 
      
      
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        distribute materials that cover the topics described by Subsection  | 
      
      
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        (a).  The department may publish its own materials on those topics  | 
      
      
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        or may distribute materials published by firearm safety education  | 
      
      
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        programs that seek to encourage firearm owners to embrace the  | 
      
      
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        importance of firearm storage. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The department may pay the costs of the campaign and its  | 
      
      
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        administration from: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  gifts, grants, or donations; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  matching funds; and | 
      
      
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                     (3)  other funds made available for that purpose,  | 
      
      
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        including available department revenue. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |