The House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee approved its campus carry bill Tuesday for review on the House floor.
HB 937 would allow licensed hand gun carriers to carry concealed handguns on campus grounds and buildings. Certain facilities, such as hospitals, pre-schools and grade schools, sports events and residence halls, would be exempt from the policy.
The Senate passed its campus carry bill earlier this month, which is also set to be heard in the House. The House version of the bill adopted amendments passed on the Senate version, including measures preventing open carry on college campuses.
On March 19, the bill was first heard in committee and left pending. At the hearing, UT students and faculty, including Student Government Vice-President elect Rohit Mandalapu, spoke in opposition of the bill.
“All of these people are against concealed carry on campus, and we ask why this decision is being made here in this room instead of at the institutions themselves, when we’re the ones being affected by this,” Mandalapu said at the hearing.
The house has not yet announced a second reading date for HB 937.