Amends TCA Title 10; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 50 and Title 70.

This bill revises provisions governing exceptions and defenses to the offense of carrying a firearm with the intent to go armed, as discussed below. Under present law, it is an offense for a person to carry a firearm or club with the intent to go armed. Present law provides certain defenses to this offense, such as the following: (1) The possession or carrying was incident to lawful hunting; (2) The possession or carrying was by a state, county or municipal judge or any federal judge or any federal or county magistrate. This bill converts the present law defenses to the above-described offense to be exceptions, and creates a new exception to the offense for a person who is legally in possession of a firearm and is not prohibited from purchasing a firearm in the person's state of residence. This bill specifies that a person who meets the elements of this new exception will have the same defenses and exceptions as a person who has been issued a handgun carry permit, for purposes of any offenses of the weapons statutes, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, or the statutes governing wildlife resources.