By: Fletcher H.B. No. 3673
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the disposition of certain firearms seized by a law
  enforcement agency.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
         (g)  A peace officer who takes a person into custody under
  Subsection (a) may immediately seize any firearm found in
  possession of the person.  After seizing a firearm under this
  subsection, the peace officer shall comply with the requirements of
  Article 18.191, Code of Criminal Procedure.
         (h)  Absent exigent circumstances or if a warrant is
  otherwise not required as a matter of law, a peace officer must
  obtain a warrant before conducting a search or seizure for any
  firearms not found on or in the immediate control of the person
  being detained.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 18, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Article 18.191 to read as follows:
         Art. 18.191.  DISPOSITION OF FIREARM SEIZED FROM CERTAIN
  PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. (a)  A law enforcement officer who
  seizes a firearm from a person taken into custody under Section
  573.001, Health and Safety Code, and not in connection with an
  offense involving the use of a weapon or an offense under Chapter
  46, Penal Code, shall immediately upon arrival at the appropriate
  facility in accordance with Section 573.001, Health and Safety
  Code, provide the person a written copy of the receipt for the
  firearm and a written notice of the procedure for the return of a
  firearm under this article.
         (b)  The law enforcement agency holding a firearm subject to
  disposition under this article shall, as soon as possible, but not
  later than the 15th day after the date the person is taken into
  custody under Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code, provide
  written notice of the procedure for the return of a firearm under
  this article to the last known address of the person detained or the
  person's closest immediate family member as identified and
  requested by the person detained or reasonably identifiable by the
  law enforcement agency, sent by certified mail, return receipt
  requested.  The law enforcement agency shall deliver a copy of the
  written notice along with an inventory of each firearm seized to a
  magistrate in that county having jurisdiction to order commitment
  under Chapter 574, Health and Safety Code.  The written notice must
  state the date by which a request for the return of the firearm must
  be submitted to the magistrate as provided by Subsection (h).
         (c)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a firearm
  subject to disposition under this article is seized, the law
  enforcement agency holding the firearm shall contact the court in
  the county having jurisdiction to order commitment under Chapter
  574, Health and Safety Code, and request the disposition of the
  case.  Not later than the 30th day after the date of this request,
  the clerk of the court shall advise the requesting agency whether
  the person taken into custody was released under Section 573.023,
  Health and Safety Code, or was ordered to receive inpatient mental
  health services under Section 574.034 or 574.035, Health and Safety
  Code.
         (d)  Not later than the 30th day after the date the clerk of
  the court informs a law enforcement agency holding a firearm
  subject to disposition under this article that the person taken
  into custody was released under Section 573.023, Health and Safety
  Code, the law enforcement agency shall:
               (1)  conduct a check of state and national criminal
  history record information to verify whether the person may
  lawfully possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g); and
               (2)  provide written notice to the person by certified
  mail that the firearm may be returned to the person on verification
  under Subdivision (1) that the person may lawfully possess the
  firearm.
         (e)  Not later than the 30th day after the date the clerk of
  the court informs a law enforcement agency holding a firearm
  subject to disposition under this article that the person taken
  into custody was ordered to receive inpatient mental health
  services under Section 574.034 or 574.035, Health and Safety Code,
  the law enforcement agency shall provide written notice to the
  person by certified mail that the person:
               (1)  is prohibited from owning, possessing, or
  purchasing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(4);
               (2)  may petition the court that entered the commitment
  order for relief from the firearms disability under Section
  574.088, Health and Safety Code; and
               (3)  may dispose of the firearm in the manner provided
  by Subsection (f).
         (f)  A person who receives notice under Subsection (e) may
  dispose of the person's firearm by:
               (1)  releasing the firearm to the person's designee,
  if:
                     (A)  the law enforcement agency holding the
  firearm conducts a check of state and national criminal history
  record information and verifies that the designee may lawfully
  possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g);
                     (B)  the person provides to the law enforcement
  agency a copy of a notarized statement releasing the firearm to the
  designee; and
                     (C)  the designee provides to the law enforcement
  agency an affidavit confirming that the designee:
                           (i)  will not allow access to the firearm by
  the person who was taken into custody under Section 573.001, Health
  and Safety Code, at any time during which the person may not
  lawfully possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g); and
                           (ii)  acknowledges the responsibility of the
  designee and no other person to verify whether the person has
  reestablished the person's eligibility to lawfully possess a
  firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g); or
               (2)  releasing the firearm to the law enforcement
  agency holding the firearm, for disposition under Subsection (h).
         (g)  If a firearm subject to disposition under this article
  is wholly or partly owned by a person other than the person taken
  into custody under Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code, the law
  enforcement agency holding the firearm shall release the firearm to
  the person claiming a right to or interest in the firearm after:
               (1)  the person provides an affidavit confirming that
  the person:
                     (A)  wholly or partly owns the firearm;
                     (B)  will not allow access to the firearm by the
  person who was taken into custody under Section 573.001, Health and
  Safety Code, at any time during which that person may not lawfully
  possess a firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g); and
                     (C)  acknowledges the responsibility of the
  person and no other person to verify whether the person who was
  taken into custody under Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code,
  has reestablished the person's eligibility to lawfully possess a
  firearm under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g); and
               (2)  the law enforcement agency holding the firearm
  conducts a check of state and national criminal history record
  information and verifies that the person claiming a right to or
  interest in the firearm may lawfully possess a firearm under 18
  U.S.C. Section 922(g).
         (h)  If a person to whom written notice is provided under
  Subsection (b) or another lawful owner of a firearm subject to
  disposition under this article does not submit a written request to
  the magistrate for the return of the firearm before the 121st day
  after the date the law enforcement agency holding the firearm
  provides written notice under Subsection (b), the law enforcement
  agency shall request the magistrate to order the sale of the firearm
  under this subsection.  After notice and a hearing, the magistrate
  may order the sale of the firearm by a person who is a licensed
  firearms dealer under 18 U.S.C. Section 923 and who is selected by
  the law enforcement agency holding the firearm.  The proceeds from
  the sale of a firearm under this subsection shall be given to the
  owner of the seized firearm, less the cost of administering this
  subsection.  An unclaimed firearm that was seized from a person
  taken into custody under Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code,
  may not be destroyed or forfeited to the state.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to the disposition of a firearm that is seized by a law enforcement
  agency on or after the effective date of this Act. The disposition
  of a firearm that was seized by a law enforcement agency before the
  effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
  firearm was seized, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.