TexasCHLforum.com

Charles L. Cotton wrote:Note that HB750 uses the following language; "concerning the storage of handguns in dormitories. . . " This is not all residential housing.

Thank you for the clarification Mr. Cotton, I did not pick up on that difference between the bills. This makes me happy!

Keith B wrote: I don't think you will ever get away from this as I don't think it will pass without it. Being able to properly secure your weapon would be tough if you live on campus due to shared housing, etc. Also, campus housed students are usually under 21, and even those 21 - 25 are probably not going to have a CHL anyway. Admittedly, there may be a few, but those would be rare IMO.

Securing a weapon in campus housing may be more possible than you think. Due to student demand, many universities have been moving more towards private room living arrangements with new construction. While there certainly are lots of old double- or triple- occupancy, 1960s style dorms around, there are an increasing number of newer buildings that are mostly or completely private rooms. These usually attract upperclassmen (more likely to be over 21), and there's no roommate to need to secure a firearm from in this case. Also, I know of one university that houses all (or nearly all) on-campus students, including graduate students, in university apartments past the freshman year. I believe students can choose whether to pay for a private bedroom or whether to share a bedroom with a roommate at that university; again, with no roommate, securing a weapon would not be a major challenge. If one of the campus carry bills passes, I believe university housing departments will have the option to regulate (or not) storage of handguns in campus housing - I sure would love to see them make some kind of allowance for those with CHLs instead of just prohibiting storage across the board.

While it's not something you mentioned, the large numbers of veterans who will be coming back from the Middle East and using G.I. Bill benefits in the coming years may increase the number of college students with CHLs who want to live on campus. Personally, I wouldn't have thought they would be likely to move into on-campus housing (especially those veterans who are married and/or have young children), but one state university anticipates enough demand from veterans that they want to build new apartment-style family housing for them now (budget cuts are proving troublesome there). I think it would be ridiculous for a housing regulation on handguns stored in campus housing to effectively tell a returning veteran, "Our military trusted you with an M4 but we can't trust you with a CHL and a handgun." Just my opinion.

CJD wrote:This is the only clause I do not like:

An institution of higher education or private or
independent institution of higher education in this state may
establish rules, regulations, or other provisions concerning the
storage of handguns in dormitories or other residential buildings
that are owned or operated by the institution and located on the
campus of the institution.

So if you live on campus, you must keep your gun in your car anyway.

I don't like this either, but I agree with Keith B, I don't think the bill(s) would pass without this. HB 86, HB 750, and SB 354 all contain this in some variation, that says to me that it's got to be in there for a bill to pass.

RPB wrote: good catch
may establish rules, regulations, or other provisions concerning (forbidding?) the storage
is vague and overly broad ... should say
May require you to buy a small safe to store stuff in... from Academy.

(On sale this week)

Or if dorms start furnishing safe's like lockers
"May require you to rent a safe to store stuff in"

HB 750 and HB 86 both use the word "concerning" while SB 354 uses the word "prohibiting." I'm not a lawyer, I don't know if the phrase is vague and overly broad. I'm more worried about the interpretation of "storage." I know that at least one state university housing department is aware of these bills and is currently preparing and planning for the possibility of passage. Water cooler talk says they think they can prevent anyone from carrying concealed in the dormitories via this clause.

I'm not sure how they could come to that conclusion, my guess would be either they ignored/missed the word "storage" and thought the clause would allow them to regulate carry as well, or that they are considering any time a firearm is carried in a dormitory (such as by staff, etc) as "storage" (of a temporary/short duration) that they could regulate. My (non-lawyer) reading of the bills leads me to believe universities could choose to prevent students from storing firearms in their dorm rooms, but universities would be prevented from prohibiting employees, students, visitors, etc. from actually carrying while in the dormitories. I'd love to hear others' thoughts and insights on this.

From what I hear, said housing department seems to have no interest at this time in safes, lockers, etc. When they were notified a couple weeks ago about these bills, the general response was similar to the unfounded fears of "blood in the streets" leading up to the passage of Texas' concealed handgun law sometime back.