Knife Rights’ Texas Knife Law Reform Bill, HB 1311, was passed today by the full House with a unanimous bipartisan vote. We thank our bill sponsors, Representatives Harold Dutton and Ryan Guillen, for their efforts, and all of you who emailed to get this bill out of committee. HB 1311 now moves to the Senate for action.
Knife Rights will let you know as soon as it is appropriate to contact your Texas Senators to support HB 1311.
HB 1311 would create an exception for two commonly visited places where Location-Restricted Knives (knives over 5 1/2 inches) are banned. Those locations are restaurants and bars that derive 51% of their income from sale or service of alcoholic beverages and amusement parks.
In 2013 Knife Rights’ repeal of Texas’ switchblade ban was enacted. In 2015 Knife Rights’ signature Knife Law Preemption was enacted, nullifying all local knife ordinances more restrictive than Texas state law, including two of the “10 Worst Anti-Knife Cities in America” at the time, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. In 2017 our bill removed all of the “illegal knives” in Texas law, finally allowing Texans the right to carry a Bowie knife, dagger and others in public. In 2019 our bill removed the ban on carry of clubs (including tomahawks) and possession of knuckles (including trench knives and the like).
Unfortunately, during the 2017 legislative process, as a result of a tragic stabbing at the University of Texas just blocks from the Capitol, a minor amendment was added to stipulate that knives with blades over 5 1/2 inches are now defined as “location-restricted knives.” These knives may be carried throughout the state except in a narrow list of places such as schools, colleges, correctional facilities, amusements parks and bars that derive more than 51% of their income from alcohol sales, as well as some other locations.
Houses of worship were originally included, but that ban was removed when permitless carry was enacted in 2021. Minors are also restricted as to when they can carry these knives.
Similar bills to HB 1311 passed by overwhelming margins in the Senate in 2019 and in the House in 2021.
Knife Rights is America’s grassroots knife owners’ organization; leading the fight to Rewrite Knife Law in America™ and forging a Sharper Future for all Americans™. Knife Rights efforts have resulted in 44 bills enacted repealing knife bans in 28 states and over 175 cities and towns since 2010.