Next, the bill has to pass the full Texas House of Representatives.
DALLAS — A bill targeting the State Fair of Texas’ gun ban policy advanced from a Texas House committee this week.
If it becomes law, the bill would forbid the State Fair of Texas from banning people with concealed handgun licenses from carrying their firearms at the fairgrounds. The Texas Senate passed the bill earlier this month in a 20-11 vote.
A policy at the State Fair of Texas, a private nonprofit organization, bars fairgoers from bringing guns into the fairgrounds. The policy was put in place after someone fired shots into a crowd at the fair in 2023, leaving three injured.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton then sued to try to prevent the State Fair of Texas from enforcing its ban.
Paxton argued in court filings that the State Fair of Texas had violated a state law that bars local governments from restricting guns on property they own or lease. The city of Dallas owns Fair Park and leases the grounds to the State Fair of Texas each year.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled against Paxton and allowed the State Fair of Texas to proceed with the policy.
The city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas argued that Paxton’s case runs counter to a legal opinion he issued in 2016 that stated private entities could ban guns on government-leased property as long as the government “has no control over the decision to post such notice.”
Paxton, at the time, said he would continue to challenge the gun ban. In April, he sued over the gun policies at the Music Hall at Fair Park and Majestic Theater.
The bill state lawmakers are considering, Senate Bill 1065, authored by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Rockwall), would change state law to protect Texans who are licensed to carry.
The legislation would require that contracts for the use of public property include provisions that prohibit contractors – like the State Fair of Texas – from restricting licensed handgun holders from carrying firearms, unless otherwise prohibited by state law.
The bill proposes penalties of at least $1,000 for the first violation and at least $10,000 for the second and subsequent violations.
Next, the bill must pass in the full Texas House of Representatives before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to potentially be signed into law. If passed, the law would take effect Sept. 1.
The 2025 State Fair of Texas runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 19.