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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to prohibiting public funds from being used to enforce | 
      
        |  | certain federal or international laws regulating firearms, firearm | 
      
        |  | accessories, and firearm ammunition within the State of Texas. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Title 1, Government Code, is amended by adding | 
      
        |  | Chapter 2 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | CHAPTER 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS | 
      
        |  | Sec. 2.001.  PROHIBITION ON USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO ENFORCE | 
      
        |  | CERTAIN FEDERAL OR INTERNATIONAL LAWS REGULATING FIREARMS, FIREARM | 
      
        |  | ACCESSORIES, AND FIREARM AMMUNITION.  (a)  In this section: | 
      
        |  | (1)  "Firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section | 
      
        |  | 46.01, Penal Code. | 
      
        |  | (2)  "Firearm accessory" means an item that is used in | 
      
        |  | conjunction with or mounted on a firearm but is not essential to the | 
      
        |  | basic function of a firearm. The term includes a detachable firearm | 
      
        |  | magazine. | 
      
        |  | (b)  This section applies to: | 
      
        |  | (1)  the State of Texas, including an agency, | 
      
        |  | department, commission, bureau, board, office, council, court, or | 
      
        |  | other entity that is in any branch of state government and that is | 
      
        |  | created by the constitution or a statute of this state, including a | 
      
        |  | university system or a system of higher education; | 
      
        |  | (2)  the governing body of a municipality, county, or | 
      
        |  | special district or authority; | 
      
        |  | (3)  an officer, employee, or other body that is part of | 
      
        |  | a municipality, county, or special district or authority, including | 
      
        |  | a sheriff, municipal police department, municipal attorney, or | 
      
        |  | county attorney; and | 
      
        |  | (4)  a district attorney or criminal district attorney. | 
      
        |  | (c)  Notwithstanding any other law, an entity described by | 
      
        |  | Subsection (b) may not use public funds to enforce a federal | 
      
        |  | statute, order, rule, or regulation or an international law | 
      
        |  | purporting to regulate a firearm, a firearm accessory, or firearm | 
      
        |  | ammunition, or the carrying of those items, if the federal statute, | 
      
        |  | order, rule, or regulation or international law imposes a | 
      
        |  | prohibition, restriction, or other regulation, such as a capacity, | 
      
        |  | size, or configuration limitation, that does not exist under the | 
      
        |  | laws of this state. | 
      
        |  | (d)  An entity described by Subsection (b) may not receive | 
      
        |  | state grant funds if the entity adopts a rule, order, ordinance, or | 
      
        |  | policy under which the entity requires the enforcement of any | 
      
        |  | federal statute, order, rule, or regulation or an international law | 
      
        |  | described by Subsection (c) or if the entity, by consistent | 
      
        |  | actions, requires the enforcement of any federal statute, order, | 
      
        |  | rule, or regulation or an international law described by Subsection | 
      
        |  | (c).  State grant funds for the entity shall be denied for the | 
      
        |  | fiscal year following the year in which a final judicial | 
      
        |  | determination in an action brought under this section is made that | 
      
        |  | the entity has intentionally required the enforcement of any | 
      
        |  | federal statute, order, rule, or regulation or an international law | 
      
        |  | described by Subsection (c). | 
      
        |  | (e)  Any citizen residing in the jurisdiction of an entity | 
      
        |  | described by Subsection (b) may file a complaint with the attorney | 
      
        |  | general if the citizen offers evidence to support an allegation | 
      
        |  | that the entity has adopted a rule, order, ordinance, or policy | 
      
        |  | under which the entity requires the enforcement of any federal | 
      
        |  | statute, order, rule, or regulation or an international law | 
      
        |  | described by Subsection (c) or that the entity, by consistent | 
      
        |  | actions, requires the enforcement of any federal statute, order, | 
      
        |  | rule, or regulation or an international law described by Subsection | 
      
        |  | (c).  The citizen must include with the complaint the evidence the | 
      
        |  | citizen has that supports the complaint. | 
      
        |  | (f)  If the attorney general determines that a complaint | 
      
        |  | filed under Subsection (e) against an entity described by | 
      
        |  | Subsection (b) is valid, the attorney general may file a petition | 
      
        |  | for a writ of mandamus or apply for other appropriate equitable | 
      
        |  | relief in a district court in Travis County or in a county in which | 
      
        |  | the principal office of the entity is located to compel the entity | 
      
        |  | to comply with Subsection (c).  The attorney general may recover | 
      
        |  | reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining relief under this | 
      
        |  | subsection, including court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, | 
      
        |  | investigative costs, witness fees, and deposition costs. | 
      
        |  | (g)  An appeal of a suit brought under Subsection (f) is | 
      
        |  | governed by the procedures for accelerated appeals in civil cases | 
      
        |  | under the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure.  The appellate court | 
      
        |  | shall render its final order or judgment with the least possible | 
      
        |  | delay. | 
      
        |  | (h)  The attorney general shall defend any entity described | 
      
        |  | by Subsection (b) that the federal government attempts to sue or | 
      
        |  | prosecute for an action or omission consistent with the | 
      
        |  | requirements of this section. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | 
      
        |  | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | 
      
        |  | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this | 
      
        |  | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | 
      
        |  | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |