Houston, Tx –-(Ammoland.com)- TSRA Members, Family, and Friends: Saturday, September 1, 2012, will mark the one-year anniversary of SB 321, THE Guns in Cars Law taking effect in Texas.
We reported on this bill often during the 2011 Legislative Session, the bill is the TSRA and NRA-backed employee parking lot protection law sponsored by state Senator Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and state Representative Tim Kleinschmidt (R-Lexington) signed into effect by Governor Rick Perry in June of 2011.
Why TSRA Needs Your Help!
In order to comply with this law’s provisions, most employers in the state have amended their policies to allow the transportation and storage of firearms in locked, employee-owned motor vehicles parked on company-controlled parking lots.
However, the TSRA needs your help to ensure that no hard-working, law-abiding Texans remain disenfranchised by employers who refuse to abide by this law.
Please notify the TSRA by email (agtripp@aol.com) with any examples of company policies that continue to violate the spirit and intent of the statute (if possible, please provide a scanned copy of the actual policy from your employee handbook) and particularly any instances of employees being disciplined or terminated under such policies.
Brief Summary of SB 321
Click on the SB321 link to read the language:
The law as enacted applies to both public and private employers, as well as all lawfully-owned firearms – not just firearms in the possession of Concealed Handgun Licensees. However, SB 321 does not authorize an employee to possess firearms on any property where such possession is prohibited by state or federal law. In addition, the provisions of the law do not apply to the following:
- Vehicles owned or leased by the employer and used by the employee for work purposes;
- School districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and private schools as defined in Section 22.081, Education Code;
- Property owned or controlled by a person, other than an employer, that is subject to a valid, unexpired oil, gas, or other mineral lease that contains a provision prohibiting the possession of firearms on the property; or
- Property owned or leased by a chemical manufacturer or oil and gas refiner permitted by TCEQ and on which the primary business conducted is the manufacture, use, storage or transportation of hazardous, combustible, or explosive materials; however, employees at these facilities who are CHLs may store firearms (including rifles or shotguns) in their private motor vehicles in parking areas located outside of secured and restricted areas which contain the physical plant, are not open to the public and which are constantly monitored by security personnel.
Let us hear from you by email about alleged violations of this law. Email agtripp@aol.com
We have already received information about companies that are misinterpreting the law or ignoring it altogether.
TSRA is acting with NRA to monitor and investigate such situations to ensure that your rights under the Parking Lot/ Employee Protection law are protected!
We must continue to gather information!
Our power and our influence come from Texans! Keep up your TSRA membership, it helps to keep Texas strong. Join, renew, or upgrade at www.tsra.com
Keep the Faith Alice Tripp, TSRA lobbyist and legislative director. Texas State Rifle AssociationAbout TSRA
The Mission of the Texas State Rifle Association is to protect and defend the inalienable rights of the individual Texan to acquire, possess, transport, carry, transfer ownership and enjoy the right to lawful use of firearms for self preservation, for the defense of family and property and the common defense of the Republic and the individual liberties of the people. Visit: www.TSRA.com
