From The Truth About Guns:  http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/01/foghorn/texas-legislator-introduces-bill-require-background-checks-gun-sales-gun-shows/

Nick Leghorn
January 5, 2017

With the new legislative session starting up in Austin, Texas comes a wave of new bills. Some are expected relaxations of the restrictions on Texans’ constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms, but not all are so gun friendly. One new proposal aims to specifically “close the gun show loophole” by requiring background checks, but only for sales at gun shows.

The bill, HB259 filed by Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas), makes it a Class A misdemeanor for one person to transfer a firearm to another person without a background check unless the person is a peace officer or has a concealed carry license. It’s an obvious and direct attempt to “close the gun show loophole” as the Democrats have been demanding nationally for years, but the way the bill is constructed shows that the author has absolutely no idea about the existing gun laws and how gun shows work and instead is just trying to get some headlines and win political points.

Here in Texas, it is 100% legal for one individual to sell a firearm to another individual without a background check as long as they reasonably believe that the buyer is not prohibited from possessing a firearm. No background checks are required and no transfer records are required to be maintained. I’ve personally used this legality to sell firearms to individuals in all sorts of places, from HEB parking lots to my own couch. The one place I’ve never actually sold a firearm is a proper gun show. It’s true that private collectors can set up shop at a gun show and sell their firearms without a background check, but requiring background checks at this one location is like trying to bail out a sinking Titanic using a teacup. It doesn’t address the perceived problem and simply shifts the activity to a different and less tightly monitored location.

Complete article at:  http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/01/foghorn/texas-legislator-introduces-bill-require-background-checks-gun-sales-gun-shows/