SB 121 - According to this act, possession of a weapon in one of the following locations constitutes the unlawful possession of a firearm:• Any public higher education institution without the consent of a member of the governing body of the institution, or anyone who has a valid concealed carry permit.
• Any public secondary or primary school without the consent of a member of the school board. Except if the person carrying the firearm has been designated by his or her district as a school protection officer, or have a valid concealed carry permit.
• Any school bus or on any premises of any school sponsored function, unless the weapon is possessed by an adult and is required in order to facilitate a school sanctioned firearm event.
• Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station without the consent of the chief law enforcement officer of that station.
• Any jail, prison or correctional institution.
• Any building that is solely occupied by a court, excerpt certain certified law enforcement officers.
• Any meeting, including committee meeting, of the General Assembly, unless the person carrying the firearm has a valid concealed carry permit.
• Any area of an airport that is controlled by a search of a person and their property.
• Anywhere carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law.
• Any private property where the owner has posted certain signs stating the property is off-limits to concealed firearms
• Any arena or stadium with a seating capacity of five thousand or more that is managed or leased by a private entity.
This act repeals provisions where the possession of a firearm in certain locations currently constitutes the unlawful possession of a firearm. These locations include: places where people assemble to worship, any election precinct on any election day, and certain buildings owned or occupied by the state and federal government, or any political subdivision.
Additionally, this act repeals provisions that prohibited someone with a valid concealed carry permit from carrying a concealed weapon in the following locations:
• Any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government or the General Assembly.
• Any polling place on any election day.
• Any establishment that serves intoxicating liquors.
• Any portion of a building that has a child care facility.
• Riverboat gambling facilities.
• Any gated amusement park.
• Any hospital accessible to the public.
• Any public higher education institution building.
This act allows the storage of a firearm in a persons vehicle at a location where possession of a firearm would otherwise constitute the unlawful possession of a firearm, except where prohibited by federal law so long as the firearm remains stored in the vehicle and is not at anytime brandished.
This act prohibits the state or any county, municipality or other political subdivision from restricting by ordinance, rule, policy, contractual agreement, or employment agreement where someone with a valid concealed carry permit can may carry a concealed firearm. Moreover, any public higher education institution may construct their own policies regarding concealed carry weapons on their campus, so long as such policies do not generally restrict the ability to carry a concealed weapon.
Finally, this act repeals the offense of possession and concealment of a dangerous or deadly weapon upon a bus and removes language that made it unlawful for someone to possess a deadly or dangerous weapon in a bus terminal.
This act is identical to HB 630 (2017) and HB 1936 (2018).
CHARLEY MERRIWEATHER