Bill Text: TX HB479 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to requiring a licensed firearms dealer to report certain sales or transfers of multiple rifles to law enforcement; creating a criminal offense.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB479 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-HB479-Introduced.html

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89R3409 AJZ-F
By: Bernal H.B. No. 479

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring a licensed firearms dealer to report certain
sales or transfers of multiple rifles to law enforcement; creating
a criminal offense.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Title 6, Business & Commerce Code, is amended by
adding Chapter 205 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 205. REPORTS OF CERTAIN MULTIPLE TRANSFERS OF RIFLES
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 205.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Department" means the Department of Public Safety
of the State of Texas.
(2) "Licensed firearms dealer" means a person who is
licensed as a firearms dealer under 18 U.S.C. Section 923.
(3) "Rifle" has the meaning assigned by 18 U.S.C.
Section 921. The term includes a semiautomatic rifle, as defined by
that section.
SUBCHAPTER B. REQUIRED REPORTING OF CERTAIN MULTIPLE SALES OR
TRANSFERS OF RIFLES
Sec. 205.051. REPORT BY LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER. (a) This
section applies only to a sale or transfer of two or more rifles
made to the same transferee, other than a licensed firearms dealer,
on a single occasion or on more than one occasion during a period of
five consecutive business days.
(b) A licensed firearms dealer shall report, in the form and
manner prescribed by the department, the multiple sales or
transfers described by Subsection (a) to:
(1) the department;
(2) if any of the applicable sales or transfers
occurred in a municipality, the police department of each
municipality in which the applicable sales or transfers occurred;
and
(3) if any of the applicable sales or transfers
occurred outside the boundaries of a municipality, the sheriff of
the county in which the applicable sales or transfers occurred.
Sec. 205.052. OFFENSE. (a) A licensed firearms dealer who
violates Section 205.051 commits an offense.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2025, the Department
of Public Safety shall develop the form for reporting multiple
rifle sales, as required by Section 205.051(b), Business & Commerce
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to the sale or transfer of a rifle that occurs on or after the
effective date of this Act. A sale or transfer of a rifle that
occurs before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law
in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and
that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.