PLANO, Texas–The Cornerstone Credit Union League is offering its member CUs updated guidance in the wake of new laws that allow Texans to carry handguns in public without going through training or having to get a permit.
According to Regulatory and Compliance Counsel Suzanne Yashewski, credit unions in the Lone Star state should update signage at the entrances to their facilities that firearms are not permitted inside the building.
Yashewski said the new signs must include language identical or substantially similar to the following: “Pursuant to Section 30.05, Penal Code (Criminal Trespass), a Person May Not Enter This Property With a Firearm.”
The sign must be in both English and Spanish, in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height and must be displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public at each entrance, Yashewski said in comments first published by the Cornerstone league.
Yashewski said that technically a credit union may leave up its old signs, but she “strongly” urges credit unions to update the signage, as the old signs simply deny entry to a license holder with a handgun.
About Employees
According to Yashewski, credit unions may also prohibit employees from carrying guns inside facilities, but Labor Code section 52.061 does require employers to permit employees to store firearms and ammunition in the trunk of their cars even if it is parked on the premises.
“This will now apply to both licensed and unlicensed employees, so you may need to update your policy,” Yashewski advised.
The best strategy when it comes to signage, according to Yashewski, is for a credit union to display the new 30.05 sign as well as the old 30.06 and 30.07 signs all in English and Spanish, due to the way the laws may be interpreted.
Oral Notices
“If you choose to display only the 30.05 sign and receive pushback by a licensed handgun carrier or law enforcement official stating that you have not displayed the 30.06 or 30.07 signs, remember that Texas law permits you to provide oral notice that entry on the property by a licensed holder of a concealed or open-carry handgun is prohibited,” Yashewski advised, according to the league. “Therefore, you can provide oral notice at the time of their challenge, and that would satisfy any dispute regarding required notice.”