Campus carry at Texas colleges to begin Aug. 1
FORT WORTH, Texas—Aug. 1—that’s a key date circled on calendars at colleges and universities throughout Texas.
That’s the day there must be signs posted and information provided on whether or not each Texas college campus allows concealed handguns to be carried there—and if so, where.
“Given the narrow tailoring of the law to allow only individuals who can possess a concealed handgun and limited few places where carrying is allowed, the likelihood of many walking around campus with handguns is pretty unlikely,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
But officials know they need to let students know whether carrying guns is legal in the first place.
And if it is, they need to let them know where they can carry them.
That’s why college officials throughout Tarrant County have been busy revamping handbooks, posting notes online— and posting new signs around campus.
All this is a result of a law known as “campus carry” that Texas legislators passed last year.
That law, as of Aug. 1, lets licensed adults carry concealed handguns into buildings at public universities in Texas. As of Aug. 1, 2017, it’s legal at community colleges as well.
Private colleges such as Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan University had the ability to opt out of the law, which they did.
And public universities such as the University of Texas at Arlington had the ability to designate gun-free zones on part but not all of the campus, which they did.
The only people legally allowed to carry concealed handguns on campus are law enforcement and those who have a concealed handgun permit, meaning they are at least 21 and have met requirements including training and proficiency tests.
Open carry is not allowed on college campuses.
The new law goes into effect before many students return for the fall semester, meaning students will return to find new signs, instruction manuals and more already in place regarding campus carry.
Fall classes begin, for instance, Aug. 17 at Texas Wesleyan, Aug. 22 at TCU and the Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth and Aug. 25 at UTA.
Private colleges that opted out of campus carry have been working on signs to let people know that concealed handguns are not allowed on campus.
At TCU, officials are preparing to post signs in English and Spanish and they also are working to update information in both the faculty/staff and student handbooks as well, said Holly Ellman, a spokeswoman with the university.
And at Texas Wesleyan, workers have already put up more than a half-dozens signs across campus, mainly at visitor parking lots and entrances, noting that concealed handguns aren’t allowed, said Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the university.
More information about the prohibition of guns should soon be posted online, she said.
Meanwhile at public universities, officials are busy designating which areas are off-limits to guns, since concealed handguns are allowed on most of the campus.