State Representative Dade Phelan, of Beaumont and State Senator Brandon Creighton, of
Conroe, have filed identical bills that would protect citizens from being charged with a crime
for carrying a handgun while evacuating from an area subject to a mandatory issued during a
disaster or while returning home. The proposed legislation is similar to Florida law, which has
been in effect since 2015. The National Rifle Association and Texas State Rifle Association
support the bill.