Knife Rights’ Texas Knife Law Reform Bill Passed by House

Texas
Texas

USA -(Ammoland.com)- Knife Rights’ bipartisan Texas Knife Law Reform Bill, HB 1935, to repeal “illegal knives” in Texas statute, was passed yesterday by the House 131-1.

Although somewhat anticlimactic after the difficult fight to save the bill and to get it amended and through Second Reading on Monday, with the tragic stabbing at the University of Texas still fresh in everyone’s minds, it was never a foregone conclusion. The bill now moves to the Senate where we still have our work cut out for us to get this passed.

As we noted yesterday, Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, has been in Austin for a week working to salvage the bill and ensure that any bill that emerged would still be an advance for Texas knife owners. He now gets to go home. He’ll be back for the Senate push.

HB 1935, as amended, now eliminates daggers, dirks, stilettos, poniards, swords, spears and most notably, Bowie knives, completely from Texas statute, effectively allowing them to be carried anywhere in the state.

However, in order to get the bill moved, the amendment stipulates that knives with blades over 5 1/2 inches are now defined as “location restricted” knives.

These knives may be carried all over the state except in a narrow list of places such as schools, colleges, correctional facilities, houses of worship, and bars that derive more than 51 percent of their income from alcohol sales.

This is an unfortunate amendment, but the alternative would have been to watch the bill die and throw years of work in Texas down the drain.

This bill’s passage would still be a huge win for knife owners in Texas and given the tragic circumstances, Todd’s done an incredible job not just saving the legislation, but ending up with 95 percent of what we wanted. If we get this bill passed, we will be back in two years and again try to finish the job in Texas.

We’s like to again express our appreciation to our House sponsors, Primary Author, Rep. Frullo, Joint Authors, Reps. Dutton, Kuempel, Moody and Springer and Coauthors, Reps. Canales and Lambert for standing firm in challenging circumstances.

This is a perfect example of why your support is so important. Otherwise, Todd could not have spent the last week in Austin and this bill would have died. It’s that simple. Your support is critical!

 

About Knife Right:

Knife Rights is rewriting knife law in America. Knife Rights passed the nation’s first repeal of a switchblade (automatic) knife ban in 2010 in New Hampshire and has since passed repeal of switchblade bans (and repealed other knife restrictions) in Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

17 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Andrew

It’s unfortunate that they didn’t also remove “club” from the weapons law language. People walk their neighborhoods every day carrying a stick to ward off stray dogs. For the most part this law goes unenforced, but it’s still a misdemeanor. If it was a samurai sword or a Bowie knife it would be ok, but a broomstick? No! That’s too dangerous for Texas!

Notwally

Signed by Governor Greg Abbot 15 June 2017!
It’s done, we won!
Effective 1 Sept 2017.

Don’t know if anyone is still following this thread, but here it is.

Michael Kriegel

Thanks for the update.

wings

Did this pass if so when does it go into effect?

Notwally

Well, as of 11 June 2017, we are all twiddling our thumbs awaiting Gov. Abbott. He has until 18 June to Sign, Pass without signing, or Veto.

If he does not specifically veto the bill, it passes with or without his signature.

If and when it passes, the law (Code, Bill) goes into effect 1 Sept. 2017.

Glen Wilkerson

Regarding the “Location Restricted Knife” measurement 5 1/2 inches – is the measured by the TOTAL LENGTH of the blade, or just the length of the SHARPENED CUTTING EDGE?

Michael Kriegel

I would be willing to bet that it would be measured from the tip to wherever the blade is the longest.

Notwally

Texas Blade Measurement is the entire exposed blade from tip to handle/grip. The sharpened area is the blade’s edge.

What’s always cited: Perez v. State 1999 WL 521705 – ” a knife blade includes the sharpened and unsharpened parts of the blade above the knife handle.”

Texas Law is a mess. The Codes, Vernon’s Statutes, Attorney General’s Opinion, and Prior Case Law make for a proper hodgepodge.

Paul

So a bayonet on an open carried long gun is good to go? Right.

Notwally

You could always have a bayonet on a firearm. Long Gun, Shotgun, Handgun. It just had to be shorter than 5 1/2 inches. But you couldn’t put it on a stick because that would make it a dreaded “Assault Spear”. All that silliness will go away when ( possibly if) HB 1935 goes through. Bowie Knives, Bayonets, Double Edged Blades, and all. Except for Clubs ( including Tomahawks). No Clubs yet. We need a Club Rights Group. Much like the concept of: I can legally walk around with as many handguns, shotguns, and rifles as I can tote or drag,… Read more »

Notwally

Engrossed and Sent to the Governor 05/30/2017

Closer and closer…..

Keep in mind, this bill does not go into effect until 1 Sept. 2017. It is dated as such.

So no matter who signed what when, prior to 1 Sept., you are still committing an offense and will absolutely lose in court.

Allen Connel

I suppose sword canes will be legal also in Texas?

Notwally

From the verbiage, it looks like everything is legal. Except in the unfortunate “Location Restricted” areas that got amended on to get it to pass. But sword canes fell in the Sword category, and the Sword category has been stricken. So you can carry your sword in your cane ( “scabbard” ) or just strap swords on your shoulder or hip. The re-write totally got rid of the term “Illegal Knife” and inserted “Location Restricted Knife” which is anything with a blade over 5 1/2 incheslong and the “Restricted Locations” are the same places you still can’t carry firearm. I’m… Read more »

Michael Kriegel

3 weeks ago, before I had heard of this bill, I sent an OTF into Microtech to have the dagger blade replaced with a tanto blade. The day before I got the knife back this bill passed. All is well though, Microtech changed the blade under warranty, 5 year old knife, and I like the tanto better.

Notwally

This bill has now passed the Texas Senate as of 24 May 2017 and 05/25/2017 H Senate passage reported.
So unless the governor vetoes it (which I say is very doubtful), it’s law.
If he signs it, it’s effective immediately.
If he doesn’t and doesn’t veto it, it becomes law 1 Sept.2017.
But note: They rarely tell law enforcement these things, so y’all be careful and ready until it all settles in and word gets around.

Michael Kriegel

Thank you for this article. I follow several legislature bills but I had no idea this bill even existed.

fishunter

It seems that knives get the same bad press as guns. Do not blame the knife for a crime – blame the individual. It is apparent that laws do not prevent a crime, the criminal will use whatever means he wants and has no regard for laws and regulations.