86R7942 GCB-D
 
  By: Watson S.B. No. 1945
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a court's authority to temporarily restrict the ability
  of a proposed patient for court-ordered mental health services to
  possess a firearm.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 18.191, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsection
  (d-1) to read as follows:
         (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:
               (1)  whether the person taken into custody was released
  under Section 573.023, Health and Safety Code, or was ordered to
  receive outpatient mental health services or inpatient mental
  health services under Section 574.034 or 574.035, Health and Safety
  Code; and
               (2)  whether the person is subject to a temporary
  firearm restriction ordered under Section 574.0335, Health and
  Safety Code.
         (d)  Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), not [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.
         (d-1)  If the clerk of court informs a law enforcement agency
  holding a firearm subject to disposition under this article that
  the person is subject to a temporary firearm restriction ordered
  under Section 574.0335, Health and Safety Code, the law enforcement
  agency shall hold the firearm until the expiration of the 90-day
  period of the restriction. Not later than 30 days before the
  expiration of the 90-day period of the restriction, the law
  enforcement agency shall conduct the verification required under
  Subsection (d)(1) and provide the notice described by Subsection
  (d)(2).  If the law enforcement agency verifies that the person
  lawfully may possess a firearm, the firearm may be returned to the
  person on expiration of the 90-day period of the restriction. A law
  enforcement agency may return a firearm to a person who lawfully may
  possess a firearm before the expiration of the 90-day period if the
  person provides a copy of an order showing the court granted the
  person's appeal of the restriction, in accordance with Section
  574.0335(b), Health and Safety Code.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 574, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 574.0335 to read as follows:
         Sec. 574.0335.  ORDER IMPOSING TEMPORARY FIREARM
  RESTRICTION. (a)  The judge may issue an order prohibiting the
  owning, possessing, or purchasing of a firearm for a period of 90
  days by a proposed patient who is ordered to receive court-ordered
  outpatient mental health services under Section 574.034 or 574.035,
  or who does not otherwise meet the applicable criteria for
  court-ordered mental health services and is released under Section
  574.033, if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that
  the proposed patient's possession of a firearm would present a
  substantial risk of serious harm to the proposed patient's self or
  to others.
         (b)  A person may appeal a temporary firearm restriction
  imposed on the person under this section not sooner than 30 days
  after the date the order is imposed. The court shall hold a hearing
  to consider the appeal and shall remove the restriction unless the
  court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person's
  possession of a firearm continues to pose a substantial risk of
  serious harm to the person's self or to others.
         (c)  If the court denies a person's appeal, the temporary
  firearm restriction shall continue, and the person may not make a
  subsequent appeal of the restriction for the remainder of the
  90-day period for which the restriction is imposed.
         SECTION 3.  (a) The change in law made by this Act to Article
  18.191, Code of Criminal Procedure, applies only to the disposition
  of a firearm seized by a law enforcement agency on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act in adding Section
  574.0335, Health and Safety Code, applies to a hearing held under
  that chapter on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless
  of whether conduct of a proposed patient that is a subject of the
  hearing occurred before the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.