Committee adopts amendment to require transparency when sheriffs trade seized firearms

Senator McKee (District 6) explained an amendment to House Bill 1327 aimed at increasing transparency in the handling of seized or surrendered firearms. "We previously passed this, pulled it back to make an amendment just to require some transparency and, sunshine on the transactions that take place when law enforcement agencies choose to trade the seized firearms for credit," McKee said.

McKee told the committee the amendment would extend an existing procedure that applied to juveniles to include adults, permitting law enforcement to trade seized or surrendered firearms to federally licensed firearm dealers rather than selling them at auction. Senator Bryant asked whether the change could affect local revenue flows, noting experience as a justice of the peace and "a rift" over who controls funds derived from contraband or seized-property sales. McKee said the amendment is intended as a procedural change to allow a different disposition method and acknowledged that different local offices sometimes contest control of such funds.

The committee adopted the amendment by motion and voice vote, then passed House Bill 1327 as amended after no further questions or public testimony were recorded. The transcript contains only an announcement that the amendment and the bill passed; detailed vote tallies or named votes are not recorded.