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               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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               AN ACT
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            relating to the regulation of certain firearm transfers; creating  | 
         
         
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            criminal offenses. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  Title 6, Business & Commerce Code, is amended by  | 
         
         
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            adding Chapter 205 to read as follows: | 
         
         
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            CHAPTER 205. REGULATION OF FIREARM TRANSFERS | 
         
         
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            SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  "Department" means the Department of Public  | 
         
         
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            Safety. | 
         
         
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                         (2)  "Firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section  | 
         
         
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            46.01, Penal Code. | 
         
         
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                         (3)  "Licensed firearms dealer" means a person who is  | 
         
         
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            licensed as a firearms dealer under 18 U.S.C. Section 923. | 
         
         
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            SUBCHAPTER B. REGULATION OF PRIVATE FIREARM TRANSFERS | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.051.  DOCUMENTATION OF PRIVATE FIREARM TRANSFERS.   | 
         
         
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            (a)  The department by rule shall adopt a form to document the sale  | 
         
         
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            or other transfer of a firearm by a person who is not a licensed  | 
         
         
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            firearms dealer. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  The form adopted under Subsection (a) must include: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  the name, driver's license or personal  | 
         
         
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            identification certificate number, if any, and contact information  | 
         
         
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            of the person selling or transferring the firearm; | 
         
         
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                         (2)  the name, driver's license or personal  | 
         
         
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            identification certificate number, if any, and contact information  | 
         
         
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            of the person to whom the firearm is being sold or transferred; | 
         
         
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                         (3)  the type of firearm and serial number of the  | 
         
         
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            firearm being sold or transferred; and | 
         
         
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                         (4)  any other information the department considers  | 
         
         
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            necessary to document the sale or transfer. | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.052.  DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIVATE  | 
         
         
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            FIREARM TRANSFERS.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), a  | 
         
         
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            person may not sell or otherwise transfer a firearm to another  | 
         
         
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            person unless the person is a licensed firearms dealer. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  Subject to Section 205.053, a person who is not a  | 
         
         
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            licensed firearms dealer may sell or otherwise transfer a firearm  | 
         
         
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            to another person only if the transferor: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  documents the transfer on the form adopted by the  | 
         
         
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            department under Section 205.051; and | 
         
         
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                         (2)  submits the form described by Subdivision (1) to  | 
         
         
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            the department not later than the 30th day after the date of the  | 
         
         
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            transfer. | 
         
         
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                   (c)  A person who violates this section commits an offense.  | 
         
         
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            An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.053.  VOLUME LIMITATIONS ON PRIVATE FIREARM  | 
         
         
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            TRANSFERS.  (a)  A person may not sell or otherwise transfer more  | 
         
         
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            than five firearms to one or more persons each year unless the  | 
         
         
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            transferor is a licensed firearms dealer. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  A person who violates this section commits an offense.  | 
         
         
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            An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. | 
         
         
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                   (c)  This section does not apply to: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  a transfer of a firearm to a person by inheritance  | 
         
         
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            or bequest on the death of the owner of the firearm; or | 
         
         
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                         (2)  a sale or other transfer of a firearm by the owner  | 
         
         
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            of the firearm if the transferor and the transferee are related  | 
         
         
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            within the third degree by consanguinity or within the second  | 
         
         
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            degree by affinity, as determined under Chapter 573, Government  | 
         
         
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            Code. | 
         
         
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            SUBCHAPTER C. NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK FOR  | 
         
         
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            PRIVATE TRANSFER OF FIREARMS | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.101.  NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK  | 
         
         
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            REQUIRED FOR PRIVATE TRANSFER OF FIREARMS.  A person may not sell or  | 
         
         
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            otherwise transfer a firearm to another person unless: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  the person is a licensed firearms dealer; | 
         
         
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                         (2)  the person transfers the firearm to a licensed  | 
         
         
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            firearms dealer; or | 
         
         
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                         (3)  before the firearm is delivered to the person to  | 
         
         
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            whom the firearm is being transferred, the person transferring the  | 
         
         
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            firearm delivers the firearm to a licensed firearms dealer to  | 
         
         
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            retain possession of the firearm until the dealer conducts a  | 
         
         
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            national instant criminal background check in the manner required  | 
         
         
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            by 18 U.S.C. Section 922 and verifies that the proposed transferee  | 
         
         
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            may lawfully possess a firearm. | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.102.  DUTIES OF LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER.  (a)  If a  | 
         
         
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            licensed firearms dealer receives a firearm under Section  | 
         
         
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            205.101(3), the dealer shall conduct a national instant criminal  | 
         
         
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            background check in the manner required by 18 U.S.C. Section 922 to  | 
         
         
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            verify that the person to whom the firearm is being transferred may  | 
         
         
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            lawfully possess the firearm.  The transfer may not occur until the  | 
         
         
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            dealer completes the background check required by this subchapter. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  If a licensed firearms dealer determines that the  | 
         
         
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            proposed transferee may not lawfully possess a firearm, the dealer  | 
         
         
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            shall return the firearm to the person who delivered the firearm to  | 
         
         
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            the dealer under Section 205.101(3). | 
         
         
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                   (c)  A licensed firearms dealer to whom a firearm is  | 
         
         
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            delivered under Section 205.101(3) may collect a reasonable fee  | 
         
         
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            from the person who delivered the firearm to the dealer. | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 205.103.  OFFENSE.  A person who violates this  | 
         
         
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            subchapter commits an offense.  An offense under this section is a  | 
         
         
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            Class A misdemeanor. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |