Tennessee Senate Bill SB1105

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to confiscated weapons.

Summary

SB1105 amends Tennessee’s laws governing confiscated weapons by adding “destroyed or recycled” as an authorized disposition for certain weapons. The bill specifically updates Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-1317 to allow weapons that have been confiscated and are no longer needed as evidence to be sold, destroyed, recycled, or retained for legitimate law enforcement purposes. For weapons that may be evidence in an official proceeding, the bill requires that they be preserved according to applicable evidence rules or practices until the legal process is complete. After the last legal proceeding involving the weapon, the weapon must be disposed of or retained for law enforcement use within a window of not less than 60 days and not more than 180 days, so long as other statutory requirements are met.

Impact

The bill modifies state law in Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 by expanding the list of lawful end-of-disposition options for confiscated weapons and clarifying the timing for disposition of weapons that are evidence. It affects law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and evidence-handling procedures by expressly permitting destruction or recycling in addition to sale or retention, while preserving evidence obligations for weapons tied to criminal proceedings.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears administrative and procedural in nature, with a neutral-to-practical policy purpose focused on evidence preservation and the management of confiscated firearms.

Contention

The bill’s main potential point of contention is the authorization to destroy or recycle confiscated weapons, which may raise concerns among those who prefer resale, permanent retention, or stricter controls over seized firearms. Another possible issue is the 60-to-180-day disposal window after proceedings conclude, which could be viewed as either a reasonable administrative timeline or an overly rigid mandate depending on law enforcement and public safety perspectives. No specific opposing or supporting stakeholders are identified in the provided record.