Rep. Vikki Goodwin introduced HB 2047, a bill on Crimes, Family, and Minors, to the Texas House on Thursday, Jan. 23 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill amends the Texas Penal Code to increase the criminal penalty for the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child. It reclassifies the offense as a Class A misdemeanor and repeals Section 46.13(e) of the Penal Code. The changes apply only to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date, Sept. 1, 2025. Offenses committed before this date will be governed by the previous law, which remains in effect for those instances. This legislative action is focused on increasing legal consequences for those who improperly store firearms accessible to minors, aiming to enhance child safety and accountability.
Vikki Goodwin, a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, proposed another 42 bills during the 89(R) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Appropriations – S/C on Article III and a member of the House Committee on Insurance.
Goodwin graduated from the University of Texas with a BBA.
Vikki Goodwin is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 47th House district. She replaced previous state representative Paul Workman in 2019.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(R) | HB 2044 | 01/23/2025 | Relating to certain offenses and conduct subject to expulsion that are associated with possessing, carrying, exhibiting, or using a firearm on or within 1,000 feet of school property |
| 89(R) | HB 1956 | 01/17/2025 | Relating to the seizure of firearms by a peace officer during the emergency detention of certain persons who may have a mental illness |
| 89(R) | HB 1935 | 01/17/2025 | Relating to the adoption of the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote |
| 89(R) | HB 1934 | 01/17/2025 | Relating to tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for certain child-care workers |
| 89(R) | HB 1810 | 01/10/2025 | Relating to the establishment of the workforce housing program by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs |
| 89(R) | HB 1807 | 01/09/2025 | Relating to the self-administration of prescription anti-seizure medicine by a student at a public school |
| 89(R) | HB 1792 | 01/08/2025 | Relating to the privacy of certain protected health information |
| 89(R) | HB 1770 | 01/08/2025 | Relating to an annual adjustment to the basic allotment under the Foundation School Program to reflect inflation |
| 89(R) | HB 1692 | 12/20/2024 | Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of unlawful transfer of a firearm |
| 89(R) | HB 1558 | 12/10/2024 | Relating to the expression of breast milk in public buildings and providing leave for state employees to donate breast milk |
| 89(R) | HB 1537 | 12/06/2024 | Relating to the Licensed Professional Counselors Compact; authorizing fees |
| 89(R) | HB 1529 | 12/05/2024 | Relating to production fees imposed by the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District; authorizing an increase in the rate of the fee |
| 89(R) | HB 1448 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to the dedication of certain federal money received for public education and the distribution to school districts of certain excess funds appropriated for the Foundation School Program |
| 89(R) | HB 1447 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to campaign contribution limits for certain offices |
| 89(R) | HB 1446 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to a study by the Texas Education Agency on the effects of school district policies prohibiting student use of personal communication devices |
| 89(R) | HB 1432 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to restrictive covenants regulating certain landscaping and water conservation practices |
| 89(R) | HB 1424 | 11/20/2024 | Relating to the structuring of water rates by retail public utilities to promote water conservation; authorizing a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 1423 | 11/20/2024 | Relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to certain individuals under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act |
| 89(R) | HB 1262 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the purpose of and programs administered by the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation |
| 89(R) | HB 937 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the procedure by which certain special districts are required to provide notice of certain matters |
| 89(R) | HB 874 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to requiring a licensed firearms dealer to report certain sales or transfers of multiple semiautomatic rifles to law enforcement; creating a criminal offense |
| 89(R) | HB 808 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the creation of certain criminal offenses concerning firearm sales at gun shows |
| 89(R) | HB 803 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the monthly amount of longevity pay for state employees |
| 89(R) | HB 711 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the prohibition on the possession of a firearm by a person following the person’s conviction of certain family violence misdemeanors |
| 89(R) | HB 691 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the minimum wage |
| 89(R) | HB 687 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the establishment of a bullying prevention pilot program for public schools |
| 89(R) | HB 639 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the inclusion by a licensed firearms dealer of a firearm safety device or secure firearm storage device and certain information with the transfer of a firearm |
| 89(R) | HB 585 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the right to assistive reproductive technology treatments and procedures, including in vitro fertilization |
| 89(R) | HB 540 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections |
| 89(R) | HB 528 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to requiring public schools to provide to certain parents notice regarding certain incidents and risks related to the parent’s child and suicide prevention materials |
| 89(R) | HB 520 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to cottage food production operations |
| 89(R) | HB 494 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the eligibility of the children of public school employees for free prekindergarten programs in public schools |
| 89(R) | HB 478 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to extreme risk protective orders; creating criminal offenses |
| 89(R) | HB 432 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to requiring a national instant criminal background check in connection with private firearm transfers; creating a criminal offense |
| 89(R) | HB 430 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the terminology used to refer to certain disabilities in determining eligibility for special education services in public schools |
| 89(R) | HB 384 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to prohibiting the transfer of certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty |
| 89(R) | HB 359 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the authority of a property owners’ association to assess a fine for discolored vegetation or turf during a period of residential watering restriction |
| 89(R) | HB 351 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to an annual adjustment to the basic allotment under the Foundation School Program to reflect inflation |
| 89(R) | HB 203 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a limitation on increases in the appraised value for ad valorem tax purposes of certain leased residential real property |
| 89(R) | HB 1245 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a prohibition on the use of water on nonresidential property to irrigate nonfunctional turf during a drought |
| 89(R) | HB 1217 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to civil liability arising from a firearm hold agreement |
| 89(R) | HB 1096 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the use of corporal punishment and to the reporting of certain information regarding the use of disciplinary measures or restraint by public schools |
| 88(R) | HB 4958 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the establishment of the workforce housing program by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs |
| 88(R) | HB 5118 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to law enforcement radio interoperability and training |
| 88(R) | HB 5206 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to falsely representing that an animal is a service animal |
| 88(R) | HB 3839 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to financial security requirements for operators of oil and gas wells |
| 88(R) | HB 3840 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to the extension of the deadline for plugging certain inactive wells under the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission of Texas |
| 88(R) | HB 3939 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to a study and report on transitioning to underground power lines |
| 88(R) | HB 3941 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to municipally owned utility reports on infrastructure improvement and maintenance |
| 88(R) | HB 3943 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to the auditing of an electric cooperative or municipally owned electric utility by an independent third party auditor after a power outage |
