The Texas Legislature gave final approval on Sunday to a bill that would require the state’s public colleges and universities to allow people with concealed-handgun licenses to carry their weapons into dormitories, classrooms, and other campus buildings, The Texas Tribune reports. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law.
Higher-education leaders, including William H. McRaven, chancellor of the University of Texas system, had opposed earlier versions of the measure, known as Senate Bill 11. In a statement on Sunday, Mr. McRaven said that while the final bill was not what he had hoped for, he appreciated late changes legislators had made that recognized safety considerations specific to campuses.
“It is helpful that the bill was amended to allow our campus presidents to consult with students, faculty, and staff to develop rules and regulations that will govern the carrying of concealed handguns on campuses,” Mr. McRaven wrote. “I look forward to working with our presidents as they craft these policies and bring them to our Board of Regents for review.”
The changes in the bill, crafted last week by negotiators from the State Senate and House of Representatives, would let universities designate some gun-free zones on their campuses. It was not clear, however, how much latitude universities would have in such decisions.
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, a Republican, said on Saturday, when the measure passed his chamber, that the bill would allow for “very limited, reasonable prohibitions” on handguns and that campuses would have to be as “specific and as minimalistic as possible” in defining restricted areas.
But during the House’s debate of the measure on Sunday, State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat who participated in the negotiations, said language in the compromise measure contradicted that narrow an interpretation. He added that the fight over guns on campuses was just getting started, with university leaders now set to begin crafting their own rules in response to the law.
