November 12 was the first day that bills could be pre-filed for the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature. State Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van) has pre-filed House Bill 47, an NRA-backed measure that reduces the number of classroom instruction hours required for issuance of an original Concealed Handgun License (“CHL”) to four hours. Currently, students taking a Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) approved course for their first CHL must receive at least ten but not more than fifteen hours of classroom training from a qualified handgun instructor. Under this proposed legislation, the existing core elements of classroom instruction (firearms laws and deadly force statutes, handgun use and safety, nonviolent dispute resolution, and proper handgun storage methods) would still be fully covered during the course, and students would still be required to pass a written exam and demonstrate handgun proficiency at a shooting range. HB 47 would instill a more efficient and effective learning experience for those looking to obtain their CHL.
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