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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | 
      
        |  | relating to the exemption from range instruction for certain | 
      
        |  | persons applying to obtain a license to carry a handgun. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Section 411.1881(a), Government Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, | 
      
        |  | a person may not be required to complete the range instruction | 
      
        |  | portion of a handgun proficiency course to obtain a license issued | 
      
        |  | under this subchapter if the person: | 
      
        |  | (1)  is currently serving in or is honorably discharged | 
      
        |  | from: | 
      
        |  | (A)  the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or | 
      
        |  | marine corps of the United States or an auxiliary service or reserve | 
      
        |  | unit of one of those branches of the armed forces; or | 
      
        |  | (B)  the Texas military forces, as defined by | 
      
        |  | Section 437.001; and | 
      
        |  | (2)  has, within the 10 [ five] years preceding the date | 
      
        |  | of the person's application for the license, completed as part of | 
      
        |  | the person's service with the armed forces or Texas military | 
      
        |  | forces: | 
      
        |  | (A)  a course of training in firearm [ handgun] | 
      
        |  | proficiency or familiarization; or | 
      
        |  | (B)  a range qualification process for firearm | 
      
        |  | usage [ as part of the person's service with the armed forces or  | 
      
        |  | Texas military forces]. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2017, the director of | 
      
        |  | the Department of Public Safety shall adopt the forms and | 
      
        |  | procedures required by Section 411.1881, Government Code, as | 
      
        |  | amended by this Act. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only | 
      
        |  | to an application to obtain a license to carry a handgun submitted | 
      
        |  | on or after December 1, 2017.  An application submitted before | 
      
        |  | December 1, 2017, is governed by the law in effect on the date the | 
      
        |  | application was submitted, and the former law is continued in | 
      
        |  | effect for that purpose. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | * * * * * |