Firearms confiscated by Texas police will soon be making their way back on the street under a new law that allows authorities to sell the weapons.

House Bill 1421 removes a previous requirement for law enforcement to repurpose confiscated guns for police use, or to destroy them. Beginning next month, however, departments will have the option of selling found or unclaimed weapons to a licensed firearms dealer.

State Representative Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who authored the bill, told The Texas Tribune that he wanted to give law enforcement “one more option” for collecting revenue.

“It has a fiscal impact in a positive way and it makes sense if the weapons are in good shape,” Perry said.

The law also validates the actions of some police departments that were already selling certain confiscated weapons under a gray area in existing law, according to Edwin Walker, president of Texas Law Shield, which provides legal services to Texas gun owners.

But some police departments, particularly those in large cities like San Antonio, Houston and Austin, have said they will not sell the weapons and will continue destroying them to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Law Enforcement Can Sell Confiscated Guns (by Todd Wiseman and Ian Floyd, Texas Tribune)

New Law Will Allow Texas Police to Sell Confiscated Guns (KVUE)

Drug Cartels Love Houston Gun Shops (by David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)