SB 429

Current law prohibits a person from carrying a firearm in a building owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision of the state. A person who violates the prohibition is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. The prohibition does not apply to a person who has a license to carry a concealed weapon. Current law allows a university or college to post notice on a building to prevent a person from entering it while carrying a firearm. A person, including a licensee, who carries a firearm into a posted building is guilty of trespassing and is subject to a Class B forfeiture, which is a forfeiture not to exceed $1,000.

This bill eliminates the trespassing provision and prohibits a person from possessing a firearm in a publicly or privately owned building on a university or college campus or on the grounds of or land owned or occupied by a university or college. A person who violates the prohibition is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. The prohibition does not apply to a law enforcement officer or military personnel in the line of duty, a person who leases residential space (not including a dormitory or part of a residence hall) or business space on the campus if the person is in the space, a participant who possesses the firearm for use in a program approved by the university or college, a person who possesses the firearm in accordance with a contract entered into between the university or college and the person or his or her employer, or a person who possesses a firearm that is unloaded and encased.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.