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SB870

Signed by Governor
Authored by Brian Birdwell (R)
View at Source

Caption: Relating to the open carrying of a handgun by a uniformed school marshal.
Initially Referred to Senate Education K-16 Committee, chaired by a Republican
Last Referred to House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs Committee, chaired by a Republican

Texas Policy Research Priority #1: TPR Vote Recommendation ENDORSED

SB 870 allows school marshals to openly carry a handgun if they are wearing a uniform that identifies them as a school marshal. The bill modifies the Education Code to permit school marshals appointed by public school districts, charter schools, private schools, and public junior colleges to carry or possess a handgun either openly or concealed, as determined by written regulations. It requires that any handgun carried or possessed by a school marshal must be loaded only with frangible duty ammunition approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The bill also stipulates that regulations may not require a school marshal to store the handgun in a locked container while on duty.

Co-authors: Creighton (R); Hall (R)
Sponsors: Slawson (R)

(S) Slawson signed onto the bill as

Jan 22, 2025

(S) Birdwell signed onto the bill as Author
(S) Received by the Secretary of the Senate
(S) Filed

Feb 13, 2025

(S) Read first time
(S) Referred to the Senate Education K-16, chaired by a Republican

Mar 25, 2025

(S) Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
(S) Considered in public hearing
(S) Testimony taken in committee
(S) Left pending in committee

Apr 1, 2025

(S) Considered in public hearing
(S) Vote taken in committee

Apr 7, 2025

(S) Reported favorably w/o amendments
(S) Committee report printed and distributed

Apr 9, 2025

(S) Hall signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Co-author authorized

Apr 14, 2025

(S) Placed on intent calendar

Apr 23, 2025

(S) Creighton signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Co-author authorized
(S) Rules suspended-Regular order of business
(S) Record vote
(S) Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment

20250423_SB870_E: Yea 23 (R 20, D 3) - Nay 8 (R 0, D 8)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Creighton; Flores; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; King; Kolkhorst; Middleton; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; Zaffirini
Nay - Alvarado; Cook; Eckhardt; Gutierrez; Johnson; Menendez; Miles; West
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(S) Record vote

Apr 24, 2025

(S) Rules suspended-Regular order of business
(S) Record vote
(S) Read 3rd time
(S) Passed

20250424_SB870_3R: Yea 23 (R 20, D 3) - Nay 8 (R 0, D 8)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Creighton; Flores; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; King; Kolkhorst; Middleton; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; Zaffirini
Nay - Alvarado; Cook; Eckhardt; Gutierrez; Johnson; Menendez; Miles; West
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(S) Record vote
(S) Reported engrossed

Apr 25, 2025

(H) Received from the Senate

Apr 28, 2025

(H) Read first time
(H) Referred to the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs, chaired by a Republican

Apr 30, 2025

(H) Considered in public hearing
(H) Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

May 2, 2025

(H) Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
(H) Committee report distributed
(H) Committee report sent to Calendars

May 5, 2025

(H) Laid out in lieu of companion
(H) Read 2nd time
(H) Point of order withdrawn
(H) Passed to 3rd reading

May 6, 2025

(H) Read 3rd time
(H) Passed
(H) Record vote

RV#1488: Yea 110 (R 84, D 26) - Nay 35 (R 1, D 34)
View Source
Yea - Alders; Allen; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Cain; Campos; Capriglione; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Frank; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Holt; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Jones, V.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lowe; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Money; Morales, E.; Morgan; Munoz; Noble; Olcott; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Raymond; Richardson; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Tepper; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Virdell; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson
Nay - Anchia; Bowers; Bryant; Canales; Cole; Collier; Davis, A.; Flores; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Hinojosa; Hopper; Howard; Johnson; Jones, J.; Lopez, R.; Manuel; Meza; Morales, C.; Plesa; Reynolds; Rodriguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Simmons; Talarico; Thompson; Turner; Wu; Zweiner
Absent - Hayes; Louderback; Moody; Morales Shaw
Present, Not Voting - Burrows
Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.
Alma Allen: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Andy Hopper: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting no. I intended to vote yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Armando Walle: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Charlene Ward Johnson: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Linda Garcia: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Penny Morales Shaw: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, my vote failed to register. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Trey Martinez Fischer: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
Yvonne Davis: "When Record No. 1488 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(H) Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
(S) House passage reported
(S) Reported enrolled

May 7, 2025

(S) Signed in the Senate
(H) Signed in the House
(E) Sent to the Governor

May 19, 2025

(E) Signed by the Governor
(E) Effective immediately

Lobbying Against/For/On This Bill

Against

(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Amanda Afifi for self (with Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Crystal Tran for Texas Appleseed
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Kelsey Kling for self (with Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Nicole Golden for self (with Texas Gun Sense)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Sarah Berel-Harrop for self
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as SARAH REYES for self (with Texas Center for Justice and Equity)

For

(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Alison Brock for Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Amy Beneski for Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Colby Nichols for Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Heather Sheffield for Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as John Beckmeyer for self (with Gun Owners of America)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Ray Hunt for self (with Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Thomas Parkinson for self

(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Cullen Grissom for Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Eric Marin for Texas Education Agency
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Ernest Garcia for Office of the Attorney General
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as John Scott for Texas Education Agency
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Steve Swanson for self