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No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Local community college districts could experience increased costs related to campus police operations, security programs, and staff training. Adaptation of community college campus facilities to accommodate the storage of handguns could result in new costs for community college districts.
This bill will allow concealed handgun license holders to carry concealed handguns on public college campuses by removing the criminal prohibition. Public colleges may not impose administrative bans or sanctions on concealed handgun license holders. Public colleges will have immunity from liability for the actions of concealed handgun license holders. The bill also permits public colleges to ban weapons on the premises of any hospital, preschool, or K-12 institution operated by the college. Concealed handgun license holders are also prohibited from carrying at collegiate sporting events. The bill permits private colleges to restrict concealed carry on their premises and/or establish appropriate regulations. Should S.B. 11 and S.B. 17 both pass as proposed, this bill would prohibit open carry on public college campuses.
05/25/2015 update:
Minor changes were made to this bill that does not affect our vote recommendation. The second chamber sponsor is Representative Fletcher.
First chamber recommendation:
This bill is a step in the right direction towards greater legal protection of 2nd Amendment rights, therefore we support this legislation. The legislation has positive effects
on personal responsibility and individual liberty by allowing concealed
handgun license holders to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights on campus at public colleges and those private colleges that permit it. There is also a positive effect on property rights, since it respects
the property rights of private colleges by permitting them to decide whether or not to allow concealed carry.