Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Texas: NRA Opposes Bills Denying Second Amendment Rights to Young Adults

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Texas: NRA Opposes Bills Denying Second Amendment Rights to Young Adults

Contact Your State Representatives & Urge Them to Oppose "Raise The Age" Bills


(HB 129, HB 565, HB 761, HB 781, HB 925, HB 996, HB 1072, HB 1331, HB 1388, HB 2075, HB2275, HB 2744, HB 2916, HB 3087, HB 3088, HB 3996, HB 4364 & HB 5188 -- to view the text of any of these bills, visit https://house.texas.gov/research/)

During the 2023 Texas legislative session, more than a DOZEN measures have been filed to discriminate against law-abiding young adults aged 18-20 by prohibiting them from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The legislation bans them from purchasing -- and in some cases, possessing -- any firearm or certain types of firearms. Some of these bills focus solely on that prohibition or some variation of it, while other bills include that among a laundry list of other restrictions on the Second Amendment rights of all age groups.

At age 18, citizens are eligible to vote, serve in the military (83% of United States Marine Corps enlistees are 20 or younger) and be drafted. An 18-to-20-year-old may be tried as an adult for crimes in state and federal courts. Young adults may serve in law enforcement, may generally serve on a jury, enter into contracts, sue and be sued, get married and own property. Restricting their right to purchase and own firearms is unconstitutional and will not reduce crime.

In the landmark Bruen case, the U.S. Supreme Court made clear that for a firearm regulation to pass muster under the Second Amendment, the government must “identify a well-established and representative historical analogue.” Regarding restrictions on young adults purchasing guns, this cannot be done. There were no laws restricting 18-20-year-olds from purchasing firearms at the time of the American founding; in fact, 18-to-20-year-olds were required to be part of the militia and arm themselves. The age of majority remains 18 today for militia.

Making further state action unnecessary in this policy area, the federal government instituted a 3-10-day federal waiting period for 18-20-year-olds purchasing firearms as part of the 2022 Bipartisan "Safer" Communities Act gun control law. During this time, FBI is tasked with conducting a so-called “enhanced” background check on the prospective purchaser. This includes an examination of state juvenile records and contacting local law enforcement in the jurisdiction in which the purchaser resides. (Another bill, HB 324, requires FFLs to report the transfer of any semi-automatic rifle to a person under 21 years of age to the county sheriff. Under the BSCA federal act, local law enforcement is already notified of all FFL firearm transfers to 18-20-year-olds.)

In 2019, Dr. Gary Kleck published the research paper “Regulating Guns Among Young Adults” in the American Journal of Criminal Justice. This study assessed the impact of state bans on gun carrying among persons aged 18 to 20 on rates of murder, robbery and aggravated assault. The results indicated no significant effect of these bans on any of the three violent crime rates. A second study assessed the impact of the federal ban on the purchase of handguns by persons aged 18 to 20. Results indicated there was no impact on the 18 to 20-year-old share of arrests for homicide, robbery, or aggravated assault. 

The Texas House Select Committee on Community Safety is expected to hear some or all of these measures at their Tuesday, April 18, meeting at 2:00pm, in Room E2.012 of the Capitol Extension, in Austin.  NRA-ILA will notify you with more details once the official committee agenda is posted later this week.


IN THIS ARTICLE
Texas Age Restrictions
TRENDING NOW
North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Last week the North Carolina General Assembly briefly returned from recess and re-referred Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to the House Rules Committee.

First Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners Filed by Trump’s DOJ

News  

Monday, October 6, 2025

First Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners Filed by Trump’s DOJ

California officials’ egregious foot-dragging over the issuance of carry permits has finally attracted the ire of the federal Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Canada’s Public Safety Minister on Gun Ban & Confiscation: “Don’t Ask Me to Explain the Logic”

News  

Monday, September 29, 2025

Canada’s Public Safety Minister on Gun Ban & Confiscation: “Don’t Ask Me to Explain the Logic”

There have been multiple developments on the Canadian gun grab and ban in the last few days, but the most astounding has got to be a leaked bombshell recording of the Liberal Public Safety Minister, ...

Federal Court Strikes Down Biden Administration’s “Engaged in the Business” Rule in NRA Case

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Federal Court Strikes Down Biden Administration’s “Engaged in the Business” Rule in NRA Case

Yesterday, in Butler v. Bondi, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama held that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives exceeded its statutory authority by issuing its 2024 Final Rule expanding ...

President Trump’s GOP Leads Polling on Crime and Guns, To No Surprise

News  

Monday, October 6, 2025

President Trump’s GOP Leads Polling on Crime and Guns, To No Surprise

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that Americans know the President Donald Trump-led Republican Party has a better plan than their Democratic Party opponents on crime and gun control.

Trump Administration Repeals Biden Era Firearms Export Crackdown

News  

Monday, October 6, 2025

Trump Administration Repeals Biden Era Firearms Export Crackdown

Last Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the U.S. Department of Commerce published a final rule that reversed a crackdown on the commercial export of firearms from the U.S. to other countries.

NRA Files Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit Case Challenging the Federal Switchblade Act

Friday, October 3, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit Case Challenging the Federal Switchblade Act

Yesterday, the National Rifle Association filed an amicus brief in Knife Rights, Inc. v. Bondi, urging the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas’s decision upholding the Federal ...

US Virgin Islands: Sweeping Gun Control Measures Advance

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

US Virgin Islands: Sweeping Gun Control Measures Advance

The 36th Legislature of the US Virgin Islands is continuing to advance sweeping gun control measures through the legislative process.

Trust in Mass Media Craters to New Lows, in Single Digits With Republicans

News  

Monday, October 6, 2025

Trust in Mass Media Craters to New Lows, in Single Digits With Republicans

There’s an old saying that rings especially true to Second Amendment supporters: If you don’t read the news, you’re uninformed.

NRA Files Another Lawsuit Challenging the National Firearms Act

Thursday, October 9, 2025

NRA Files Another Lawsuit Challenging the National Firearms Act

Today, the National Rifle Association—along with the American Suppressor Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Second Amendment Foundation—announced the filing of another lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA).

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.