Making a tax-free holiday for guns? [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

DALLAS — Guns are already selling at record levels across Texas. The state ranks among the highest in firearm sales.

A Plano lawmaker now hopes to make it even more enticing for Texans to become gun owners.

State Rep. Jeff Leach, a 30-year-old Republican from Plano, filed a bill (HB 1533) to make Texas Independence Day (March 2nd) a tax-free holiday for guns and ammunition.

“Gun owners and gun manufacturers in Texas need to know that Texas stands behind them,” Rep. Leach told News 8 on Monday. He said he filed his bill — called the Texas Gun Ownership Reinforcement Act — in response to calls to tighten federal gun laws.

More at http://www.kvue.com/news/Making-guns-tax-free-at-least-for-a-day-193310461.html .

Text of the bill:

BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

relating to an exemption from the sales tax for firearms and hunting
supplies for a limited period.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 151, Tax Code, is amended
by adding Section 151.358 to read as follows:
Sec. 151.358. FIREARMS AND HUNTING SUPPLIES FOR LIMITED
PERIOD. (a) In this section, "hunting supplies" means ammunition,
archery equipment, hunting blinds and stands, hunting decoys,
firearm cleaning supplies, gun cases and gun safes, and hunting
optics.
(b) The sale of a firearm or hunting supplies is exempted
from the taxes imposed by this chapter if the sale takes place
during a period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on March 2 and ending at 12
midnight on the same day.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act does not
affect tax liability accruing before the effective date of this
Act. That liability continues in effect as if this Act had not been
enacted, and the former law is continued in effect for the
collection of taxes due and for civil and criminal enforcement of
the liability for those taxes.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.