Gun Bill HB 805 Prevents Prosecution of Those Carrying Guns in Texas Nursing Homes

April 14, 2015

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For Immediate Release
April 14, 2015

Contact: Rebecca Reid
410-212-383

Gun Bill HB 805 Prevents Prosecution of Those Carrying Guns in Texas Nursing Homes

Legislation Singles out Businesses Receiving Public Monies and Exempts Gun Carriers From Being Prosecuted for Class A Misdemeanors

 

(Austin, TX) – In a move to protect those carrying guns into Texas nursing homes, HB 805, heard today in the House of Representatives’ Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, essentially removes the ability to prosecute an individual who still, by law, commits a Class A Misdemeanor, by bringing a gun onto the premises of skilled nursing facility caring for the state’s frail elderly.

“By including a qualifier in the bill that points to buildings receiving public funds, Medicaid and Medicare in the case of nursing homes, HB 805 effectively gives the green light for guns to come through the doors where elderly with increasing complex mental and medical conditions receive their skilled nursing care,” said Kevin Warren, President of the Texas Health Care Association (THCA).

Currently in Texas penal code, it is a Class A Misdemeanor offense to hold or carry a gun on the premises of a hospital or nursing home unless the gun carrier has written authorization from the facility.  HB 805 would preserve the offense, but disallow the prosecution of an individual who carries or handles a gun in a building that receives public funding. Both hospitals and nursing homes provide care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries requiring healthcare services.  Two thirds of Texas’ nursing home patients are Medicaid beneficiaries.  Medicaid funding, an entitlement program funded by both state and federal governments, is the safety net for low income seniors requiring rehab, therapy and around-the-clock skilled nursing care.

 

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About THCA

Founded in 1950, the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) is the largest long-term care association in Texas. THCA’s membership is comprised of several hundred licensed non-profit and for-profit skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), specialized rehabilitation facilities and assisted living facilities in Texas. These facilities provide comprehensive, around-the-clock nursing care for chronically ill or short-term residents of all ages, along with rehabilitative and specialized medical programs. THCA also represents more than 190 long-term care businesses that provide products and services to the state’s approximately 2,850 nursing homes and assisted living facilities. To learn more, visit http://txhca.org/ or connect with THCA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.