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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 673
November 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives JOERS, BARE, BALDEH,
EMERSON, RATCLIFF, ORTIZ-VELEZ, ANDRACA, PALMERI, SINICKI, CONLEY, DRAKE,
JACOBSON, J. ANDERSON, OHNSTAD, STUBBS, MADISON and CLANCY, cosponsored
by Senators AGARD, L. JOHNSON, CARPENTER, SPREITZER, ROYS, HESSELBEIN and
LARSON. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to create 20.455 (2) (de) and 165.985 of the statutes; relating to: grants
for firearm buyback programs and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill sets up a program administered by the Department of Justice to
provide grants to counties or law enforcement agencies that implement a firearm
buyback program that meets certain criteria.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
2023-24 2024-25
20.455 Justice, department of
(2) LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
(de)Firearm buyback grant programGPR C 100,000 100,000
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SECTION 2 ASSEMBLY BILL 673
SECTION 2. 20.455 (2) (de) of the statutes is created to read:
20.455 (2) (de) Firearm buyback grant program. As a continuing
appropriation, the amounts in the schedule to provide grants to counties or law
enforcement agencies under s. 165.985.
SECTION 3. 165.985 of the statutes is created to read:
165.985 Firearm buyback grant program. (1) The department of justice
shall provide grants from the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (2) (de) to
counties or law enforcement agencies that implement a firearm buyback program in
their jurisdictions.
(2) A county or law enforcement agency is eligible for a grant under this section
if the county or agency does all of the following:
(a) Proposes and administers a plan to adequately advertise the firearm
buyback program.
(b) Proposes and administers a plan that has law enforcement personnel
administering the program. The plan may use grant funds to pay law enforcement
personnel for any overtime hours spent administering the program.
(c) Keeps any firearms received in the possession of the county or law
enforcement agency until the firearm is destroyed or, if working with the state
historical society regarding a historical firearm, is transferred to the state historical
society for preservation.
(d) Establishes and follows adequate safeguards to prevent fraud in the
program and to prevent solicitation or other sales of firearms on the premises,
including a parking lot.
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SECTION 3
ASSEMBLY BILL 673
(e) Establishes and follows a process for utilizing a firearms dealer, as defined
in s. 175.35 (1) (ar), to inspect on-site a firearm received before providing payment
to an individual for the firearm.
(f) If the county or law enforcement agency provides payment for the firearm
in the form of a gift card or certificate, ensures the gift card or certificate cannot be
redeemed for a firearm or ammunition.
(3) (a) A county or law enforcement agency applying to the department of
justice for a grant under this section shall include a proposed plan that complies with
the requirements under sub. (2).
(b) A grant recipient under this section shall submit a report to the department
of justice within 90 days of the conclusion of the program that includes all of the
following:
1. The number and types of firearms received and destroyed through the
program.
2. Any recommendations for improving firearm buyback programs.
(4) Grants awarded under this section may not supplant any other funds that
the grant recipient uses for firearm buyback programs at the time the grant is
awarded.
(5) By July 1, 2026, the department of justice shall submit a report to the chief
clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s.
13.172 (2) that provides all of the following information:
(a) The number of counties and law enforcement agencies that received a grant
under this section.
(b) The number of firearms received through each firearm buyback program
and the total number of firearms received through all programs.
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SECTION 3 ASSEMBLY BILL 673
(c) Recommendations on improving firearm buyback programs and the
administration of grants under this section.
(6) An individual is immune from prosecution for illegal possession of a firearm
for submitting a firearm to a grant recipient under this section, and the submission
of a firearm to a grant recipient under this section may not be used to establish
probable cause for illegal possession of a firearm.
(END)
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