Texas senate passes bill allowing residents to carry handguns without licence

Texas lawmakers have passed a House Bill 1927 that will allow residents 21 years or older, to carry handguns without a licence.

Residents will also be able to possess a handgun without going through a background check or training.

This new bill was passed on Monday by the state’s republican-led legislature, sending it to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Texas law currently requires gun owners to be licensed to carry a handgun, both concealed and in the open.

They are also required to submit fingerprints, complete up to six hours of training, pass a written exam, and pass a shooting proficiency test.

In a radio interview in April, Gregg Abbott, Texas governor, had hinted that he would sign the bill into law.

“I support it, and I believe it should reach my desk, and we should have constitutional carry in Texas,” he said.

The bill, if signed by Abbott, will be similar to a law already in the state which allows residents carry a rifle without a licence.

Conservative gun owners have long expressed support for the bill, despite objections from law enforcement and gun control groups about the risks it could pose to the public.

There have been numerous cases of gun violence in Texas, which have left several people dead.

In 2019 alone, there were reportedly 3,683 gun-related deaths in Texas, including in El-Paso and Midland-Odessa.

Charles Schwertner, sponsor of the bill in the senate, however, said the bill is a restoration of the constitutional rights of Texans.

“This is a simple restoration of Texans’ constitutional right under the Second Amendment, a right of the people to keep and bear arms. I think it is a bill that is the strongest bill I’ve seen in my legislative career regarding the rights of our Second Amendment,” he said.