HOUSTON: Residents in the US state of Texas can carry handguns without a license or training starting September 1 after Governor Greg Abbott signed a controversial permitless carry gun bill into law.
Abbott held a ceremonial bill signing Thursday at the Alamo, a key historical symbol of Texas pride, in San Antonio.
He called it a measure of freedom and self-defence, while also connecting it to his ongoing fight with the Biden administration over the flow of migrants across the border with Mexico.
"There is a need for people to have a weapon to defend themselves in the Lone Star State," Abbott said.
Texas is nicknamed the "Lone Star State" for its former status as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico.
In signing HB 1927 into law, Texas joins a handful of other conservative-led states that have passed measures this year allowing some form of permitless carry and expanded gun rights at the state level.
The law, a huge win for gun rights advocates, was one of the most controversial measures passed in this session.
Bill supporters said the legislation would simply restore Second Amendment rights to law-abiding Texans, while critics have said the move will only lead to more gun violence.
Opponents of the bill have pointed to incidents of gun violence in Texas including the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting that left 10 dead and the 2019 mass shootings at an El Paso Walmart and Midland-Odessa that left 30 people dead.
Last week, one person was killed and 13 were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Austin.
Texas police chiefs and some firearm instructors who run licensing courses have also opposed the bill.
Before the permitless carry law, applicants for a license would have to attend a training class, pass a shooting proficiency test and exam, and undergo fingerprinting and background checks.