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Texas State University

Campus Carry Rules

Overview

The following rules regarding the carrying of concealed handguns by license holders on Texas State University property have been approved by The Texas State University System Board of Regents.

General Rules

Policy	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Policy No Gun Storage Provided by the University on San Marcos Campus or Round Rock Campus	Information/Background Texas law does not require the university to provide handgun storage for license holders. Under Texas law license holders must take a training class and license holders are taught proper handgun storage principles. It is the responsibility of a license holder to properly carry and store the handgun in a safe manner.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links The Texas Government, Subchapter H, Section 411.188.4:	Nature of Student Population The student population of license holders does not differ from those in the general population in that both must meet the same requirements to obtain a license and safely store their weapons.	Specific Safety Considerations Texas Government Code Section 411.188 requires that license holders are taught proper handgun storage. Providing handgun storage on campus would raise issues regarding cost, availability, security, privacy, and liability.	Unique Environment Since the University's campuses are expansive and have many separated areas and buildings, one centralized storage area is not feasible. Multiple storage locations would be needed and would be very expensive to establish and maintain.
Policy Discretionary Authority	Information/Background At the discretion of the President, concealed carry of a handgun by a license holder may be prohibited on other Texas State premises associated with temporary events involving safety considerations. There may be unique, temporary, or unforeseen circumstances wherein the carrying of a concealed handgun would pose safety concerns. Other universities, in states that allow the concealed carry of a handgun on the campus of a public university, have incorporated language in their policies that allow the appropriate authorities to establish areas on campus where concealed carry is prohibited when the nature of a particular academic setting or event would create a safety concern relative to the presence of a concealed handgun. This discretionary authority is consistent with Texas Government Code Section 411.2031 (d-1), that allows the president or other officer to amend the provisions as necessary for campus safety.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment Texas State offers a broad curriculum that requires unique classroom and lab environments. The campuses host events that allow interactions with the broader community and many guests come on each campus daily. This discretionary authority will allow for flexibility in addressing safety concerns in circumstances that may not be foreseen in the pre-implementation phase of this new legislation.
Policy Appropriate notice and signage will be provided by the University as required by Texas law.	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Policy A license holder must carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder’s person. For the purpose of these rules, the phrase “on or about the license holder’s person” is defined as carrying a handgun in a manner such that it must be close enough to the license holder that he or she can grasp it without materially changing position.

Concealed Carry is Prohibited in Premises Providing Services or Events for Minor Children

Building(s)	Room(s)	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Building(s) The Child Development Center (CDC)	Room(s)	Information/Background CDC provides a model early education and child care program for students, staff, faculty, and the community. It serves infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Currently, there are 90 children enrolled. Each year, 500-600 University students visit as “lab students.” The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services prohibits firearms on the premises of a licensed child care facility.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child Care Licensing Division: Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers, Sec. 746.3707, Subchapter S, Division 1. Child Care Services (CCS), and the USDA Child Care and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).	Nature of Student Population Although enrolled students are not CDC clients, the client population consists of infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children. This population presents unique safety concerns.	Specific Safety Considerations Young children may exhibit behaviors that are unpredictable and aggressive. Armed adults in the CDC will increase the risk of an accidental discharge.	Unique Environment Not all universities operate a Child Development Center. Moreover, the state recognizes the uniqueness of the environment and state licensure regulations prohibit weapons in licensed child care facilities.
Building(s) The Clinic for Autism Research Evaluation and Support (CARES) and the Assessment and Counseling Clinic (ACC)	Room(s) San Marcos Campus: 1st Floor of Education Building and Round Rock Campus: AVRY 111 and 112	Information/Background CARES, housed in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology in the College of Education, provides assessment and treatment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (e.g., autism.) More than a dozen such individuals between the ages of 2 and adulthood (18+ years old) are in CARES rooms, moving through the hallways between CARES rooms, or near the front doors. ACC houses several programs/departments and serves diverse client populations including members of the general public. The focus is on children and family counseling. Among the clients served, children are the most vulnerable, as are adults with mental illness, and individuals in abusive relationships seeking support.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Gen. Government Code 411.172	Nature of Student Population Although enrolled students are not CARES or ACC clients, the clinical population that includes children from age 2 to 18 years presents unique safety concerns.	Specific Safety Considerations CARES provides treatment to reduce aggressive behaviors. Grabbing someone who is armed could lead to an accidental discharge. CARES' adult clients with milder intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses, if a license holder, would be able to bring a gun into the clinic. Children and adults with intellectual disabilities may not know how to behave upon seeing a gun, and would likely not behave in predictable ways. ACC serves families in crisis who often exhibit problematic behavior including conflict, aggression, abuse, and/or violence. ACC also serves clients who are in the process of leaving abusive relationships. Providing mental health services to potentially volatile clientele creates safety concerns.	Unique Environment Not all universities operate clinics that serve individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities or clinics that provide counseling services to children and families in crisis.
Building(s) Speech-Language-Hearing and Physical Therapy Clinics in the College of Health Professions	Room(s) HPB Rooms 101, 104, 111, 110A, 112-128	Information/Background The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is a training facility for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Communication Disorders. An on-campus clinic is required for the program’s national accreditation. Disorders range from hearing loss and problems expressing wants and needs, to understanding others. The causes of these speech and hearing problems range from autism to developmental delays, reduced cognitive abilities, neurological problems, dementia, stroke, learning disabilities, and prenatal/birth defects. Aggression, tantrums, impulsivity, and agitation are common in these populations. The Physical Therapy Clinic is a clinical training facility for Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate students. About 70 patients are seen by these students under faculty supervision. Clientele include children and adults, many with neurological, developmental, and cognitive disorders. The mobility of all patients is compromised or reduced in some way. In certain cases, cognition may be compromised or reduced.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Gen. Government Code 411.172	Nature of Student Population Although enrolled students are not clients, the clinical population that includes children in pre-K through grade 12, presents unique safety concerns.	Specific Safety Considerations Behavioral, cognitive emotional/affective and communicative issues in the populations served by these clinics may cause situations wherein a patient does not understand the implications of playing with or touching a gun. Many younger patients cannot delineate between a toy and a real gun. Due to limited understandings, specifically through talking and hearing, many patients cannot follow directions, tell others what they saw, or hear a communicated warning. The safety of the patients would be jeopardized in the case of an accidental discharge or a found handgun. Additionally, in the Physical Therapy clinic a concealed handgun may restrict the prescribed theraputic program especially in situations where clothing must be removed and/or where body manipulations and treatments would make the requirement that all weapons remain "concealed" impossible.	Unique Environment Few public universities have a degree in Communication Disorders and/or Physical Therapy. Therefore, few have an on-campus Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic or Physical Therapy Clinic.
Building(s) Locations Used for Pre-K Through Grade 12 Summer Activities / Camps on the San Marcos Campus and on the Round Rock Campus	Room(s) Residence Halls used for summer camps; Music Bldg. during summer terms; Avery Bldg. during Summer I term, and other summer camp locations	Information/Background During the summer months (June and July), the Department of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL) offers on-campus housing to over 50 camp and conference groups serving pre-K through grade 12 attendees. The School of Music and additional locations on the San Marcos Campus offer such programs. The Avery Building on the Round Rock Campus is used for these events during the Summer I term.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF)	Nature of Student Population The majority of attendees are school-aged students. Typically, one adult supervises groups of roughly 30 participants.	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment Not all universities offer summer programs on campus for pre-K through grade 12 participants.

Concealed Carry is Prohibited in Premises Providing Health Care Services

Building(s)	Room(s)	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Building(s) The Student Health Center	Room(s) San Marcos Campus - SHC; Round Rock Campus - Room 116, Nursing Bldg.	Information/Background The Texas State University Student Health Centers at the San Marcos Campus and the Round Rock Campus provide primary, women’s, and psychiatric healthcare services to university students. The Student Health Centers have experienced healthcare providers, including physicians and nurse practitioners. Medical, laboratory, digital radiography, and pharmacological services and prescription drugs are available on-site.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Gen. Government Code 411.172. Although it does not qualify as a hospital, many of the same safety concerns prohibiting handguns at such facilities apply. The Centers are nationally accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC).	Nature of Student Population All undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to receive services at the Student Health Centers.	Specific Safety Considerations The nature of the student population served and diversity of services provided raise concerns about the fear of injury to self and others in the Student Health Centers. The combination of mental health services and the ability to prescribe and dispense pharmaceutical medications, creates additional concerns. The law does not provide a mechanism, nor would it be safe or appropriate, for a mental health provider to require that a handgun be relinquished after a diagnosis is made.	Unique Environment The Student Health Centers serve students suffering from psychological, as well as alcohol and other drug abuse disorders that can lead to threatening behaviors and violence.

Concealed Carry is Prohibited in Premises Used for Disciplinary, Legal Compliance, Counseling, and Accredited Testing Locations

BUILDING(S)	ROOM(S)	INFORMATION/BACKGROUND	RELEVANT LAWS, REGULATIONS AND/OR LINKS	NATURE OF STUDENT POPULATION	SPECIFIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS	UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT
BUILDING(S) San Marcos Campus - LBJ Student Center - and Round Rock Campus in Nursing Building	ROOM(S) San Marcos Campus - LBJ 5th Floor and Round Rock Campus, Room 116 in Nursing Building	INFORMATION/BACKGROUND The fifth floor of the LBJ Student Center contains Student Affairs offices that provide sensitive services to vulnerable and potentially volatile populations. The majority of distressed students served in this area have an immediate need for assistance and there is a high density of vulnerable and potentially volatile students served in this area. Distressed students are frequently walked between offices on this floor. It is not unusual for University Police Department officers to respond to situations involving safety concerns for students and/or staff. On the Round Rock Campus the Counseling Center provides clinical services to individuals, groups, and couples. It engages in crisis intervention and consultation. Concerns addressed include stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, substance abuse, and adjustment to college. The center also trains new mental health professionals.	RELEVANT LAWS, REGULATIONS AND/OR LINKS Gen. Government Code 411.172. Accreditation standards, International Association of Counseling Services. The doctoral internship program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers.	NATURE OF STUDENT POPULATION Services accessible to students on the fifth floor of the LBJ Student Center, include the Dean of Students Office (which includes Student Justice), Alcohol and Drug Compliance Services, and the Counseling Center. On the Round Rock Campus, the Counseling Center provides counseling and crisis intervention services to students, including students in crisis with an immediate need for said services. Government code makes a chemically dependent person, or a person diagnosed by a licensed physician as suffering from a psychiatric condition, ineligible to be a license holder.	SPECIFIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS At Student Justice, violations of the code of student conduct are adjudicated. Students often demonstrate high levels of anger and frustration at adjudicatory proceedings. Additionally, populations prone to substance and alcohol abuse can be present at the Alcohol and Drug Compliance Services. Students with mental illness who might present a danger to themselves or others attend the counseling centers. The law does not provide a mechanism, nor would it be safe or appropriate, for a mental health provider to require that a handgun be relinquished after a diagnosis is made.	UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT The fifth floor of the LBJ Student Center and the Counseling Center on the Round Rock Campus are unique because there is a density of vulnerable, volatile, and distressed students seeking services for which they have an immediate need. The majority of the offices on the San Marcos Campus that deal with disciplinary matters, quasi-judicial and administrative hearings, legal compliance issues, as well as substance abuse, mental health and disability issues are on the fifth floor. University Police Department officers are often required to assist in many of these situations.
BUILDING(S) Premises Used for Disciplinary Action as Defined in Official University Policy Statements	ROOM(S) Various locations on the San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses are used for disciplinary matters, legal and quasi-judicial matters, and legal compliance.	INFORMATION/BACKGROUND Disciplinary actions can be taken against students, staff, organizations, and faculty members. Adjudication of a disputed matter is done in accord with the processes and procedures required by the applicable University policies. Processes often include quasi-judicial, administrative hearings and dispositions. Disciplinary sanctions vary from verbal warnings to employment termination or student expulsion.	RELEVANT LAWS, REGULATIONS AND/OR LINKS Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF)	NATURE OF STUDENT POPULATION A disciplinary action may be brought against an undergraduate or graduate student, an organization, a staff member, or a faculty member. Disciplinary action involves adjudicatory processes that can include individual and/or group meetings, hearings, mediations, quasi-judicial proceedings, and appellate proceedings.	SPECIFIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Premises of the University wherein formal disciplinary actions are being conducted are comparable to governmental courts. The Texas Penal Code prohibits carrying weapons in a court. That same rationale provides justification to disallow weapons in matters involving adjudication at the university level.	UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT Since disciplinary matters, hearings, and legal compliance of faculty, staff, organizations, and students may occur in a variety of locations.
BUILDING(S) The Testing, Evaluation, and Measurement Center (TEMC) at San Marcos Campus and Round Rock Campus	ROOM(S) San Marcos Campus - Nueces Building, First Floor Ste. 101 and Round Rock Campus - Avery Building, Room 209, Room 209 A-E	INFORMATION/BACKGROUND The TEMC supports students, faculty, and the community by providing a variety of academic and career testing and scanning options with specialized equipment in a secure testing environment. The TEMC offers accommodated testing services for students registered with the Office of Disability Services, as well as admission and placement exams, credit-by-exam options, and exams that support graduation requirements like foreign language proficiency. TEMC also contracts with national and international testing authorities to provide post-graduate professional certification and licensure exams to TXST students and members of the community. The TEMC is comprised of four offices housed in two facilities at TXST (one facility on the San Marcos Campus and the other on the Round Rock Campus). The TEMC provides valuable services to TXST students and the central Texas community before, during, and after their university experience.	RELEVANT LAWS, REGULATIONS AND/OR LINKS Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF). Gen. Government Code 411.172. TEMC provides state and national accredited testing on behalf of various testing authorities and is contractually obligated to adhere to policy prohibiting handguns and other weapons in a testing environment.	NATURE OF STUDENT POPULATION Examinee population consists of high school age minors, college students, TXST staff and faculty, and members of the community.	SPECIFIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Examinees in a testing environment often demonstrate high levels of stress and anxiety that can lead to unpredictable behaviors. Additionally, TEMC provides testing to students registered with the Office of Disability Services. In a testing environment, specific disabilities may increase the likelihood of behaviors that are unpredictable and aggressive toward self or others, increasing the risk of an accidental discharge. The TEMC is also contractually obligated to adhere to testing authority policy regarding state and national accredited testing.	UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT TEMC serves as the primary accommodated testing facility on behalf of our disability services office which is unique to most university testing centers.

Concealed Carry is Prohibited in Premises When Used for Competitive Sporting, NCAA, and UIL Events

Building(s)	Room(s)	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Building(s) Locations on the San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses Used for Competitive Sporting, NCAA, and UIL Events While Such Events Are Occurring	Room(s) UFCU Stadium; Strahan Coliseum; Bobcat Baseball/Softball Complex; Track and Field Stadium, and other locations where such events are held	Information/Background Texas State University hosts a number of competitive sporting events where guns are prohibited by Texas law, NCAA and UIL rules and regulations.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF). Texas State's Safety and Security Plan, approved by the NCAA; NCAA rules; and UIL Rules and Regulations (PDF)	Nature of Student Population Students and the general public, including children, attend these events. UIL events are specifically held for middle and high school aged participants and their guests.	Specific Safety Considerations Texas law prohibits weapons at athletic and interscholastic events.	Unique Environment Large capacity sporting events and UIL events, are hosted on both the San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses. Said events require that safety and security plans are in place in order to provide a safe environment.

Concealed Carry is Prohibited in Premises Used for Official Residence or Governmental Events

Building(s)	Room(s)	Information/Background	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations	Unique Environment
Building(s) President's House and Surrounding Grounds	Room(s) PRES	Information/Background The President's House is both a private residence and a location where the President hosts official University events. The President is required to reside in the President's House that is located on the San Marcos Campus.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF)	Nature of Student Population Guests include individuals from the University community, community-at-large, minors, elected and/or appointed public officials, donors, prospective donors, University Presidents, the System's Board of Regents, Chancellor, staff, and invited speakers.	Specific Safety Considerations The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the University and is required to reside in the President's House. Specific safety concerns can suddenly arise when uninvited individuals arrive at the residence and/or when unanticipated intrusions occur at the residence.	Unique Environment The President's House is located on University property and is owned and maintained by the University.
Building(s) Locations used for Governmental Meetings	Room(s) Locations on San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses when used for governmental meetings	Information/Background Texas law does not allow a license holder to carry a handgun in governmental meeting venues (Texas Penal Code Section 46.035 Subsection C)	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Penal Code Section 46.035 Subsection C (PDF)	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations At various times in various locations on both the San Marcos and Round Rock Campuses governmental meetings are held and under Texas law concealed carry of handguns are not permitted in those locations during the time the governmental meetings are held.	Unique Environment
Building(s) LBJ Student Center - When Used For Polling	Room(s) 3rd floor, LBJ when used for polling purposes.	Information/Background During governmental elections, citizens are allowed to cast ballots at the LBJ Student Center.	Relevant Laws, Regulations and/or Links Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 and 46.035 (PDF)	Nature of Student Population	Specific Safety Considerations Under Texas law, license holders are not permitted to carry concealed weapons at polling sites.