Texas lawmakers passed a series of bills easing firearm restrictions in the state, despite a new pediatric study linking such legislation to increased firearm deaths among children.
The Texas Legislature approved several measures, including Senate Bill 1596, which legalizes short-barrel firearms without requiring registration with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Governor Greg Abbott has received the bill and must decide whether to enact it into law.
Other proposed bills, such as House Bill 2470 and House Bill 4201, aim to allow teenagers to carry handguns in schools. If passed, Texas would become the first state to approve such a measure.
During the 2023 legislative session, Texas lawmakers also considered other NRA-supported bills, which Governor Abbott signed into law.
A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics highlights the link between looser gun laws and a rise in pediatric firearm deaths across the United States.