SB503: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-4927/1

CMH:emw&wlj

2025 SENATE BILL 503

October 2, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Ratcliff, Habush Sinykin, Dassler-Alfheim, Hesselbein, Larson, Roys, Smith and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Joers, McCarville, Andraca, Arney, Bare, DeSmidt, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Hong, Johnson, Kirsch, Mayadev, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Roe, Sheehan, Sinicki, Stubbs, Taylor, Tenorio and Udell. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

SB503,1,3 An Act to create 20.455 (2) (de) and 165.985 of the statutes; relating to: grants for safe firearm disposal incentive programs and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates a program, administered by the Department of Justice, to award grants to counties or law enforcement agencies that implement a safe firearm disposal incentive program that meets certain criteria. The bill provides $200,000 for grants in each fiscal year and authorizes a position for the purpose of administering the grant program.

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:

SB503,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:

- See PDF for table

SB503,2 Section 2. 20.455 (2) (de) of the statutes is created to read:

SB503,2,9 20.455 (2) (de) Safe firearm disposal incentive grant program. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule to provide grants to counties or law enforcement agencies under s. 165.985.

SB503,3 Section 3. 165.985 of the statutes is created to read:

SB503,2,14 165.985 Safe firearm disposal incentive grant program. (1) The department of justice shall award grants from the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (2) (de) to counties or law enforcement agencies that implement a safe firearm disposal incentive program in their jurisdictions.

SB503,2,16 (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:

SB503,2,18 (a) Proposes and administers a plan to advertise the safe firearm disposal incentive program.

SB503,2,21 (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.

SB503,3,2 (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.

SB503,3,5 (d) Establishes and follows safeguards to prevent fraud in the program and to prevent solicitation or other sales of firearms on the premises, including a parking lot.

SB503,3,8 (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.

SB503,3,11 (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.

SB503,3,14 (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).

SB503,3,17 (b) A grant recipient under this section shall submit a report to the department of justice within 90 days of the conclusion of the safe firearm disposal incentive program that includes all of the following:

SB503,3,19 1. The make, model, color, serial number, and total number of firearms received and destroyed through the program.

SB503,3,21 2. Any recommendations for improving safe firearm disposal incentive programs.

SB503,4,2 (4) Grants awarded under this section may not supplant any other funds that the grant recipient uses for safe firearm disposal incentive programs at the time the grant is awarded.

SB503,4,5 (5) By July 1, 2028, 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:

SB503,4,7 (a) The number of counties and law enforcement agencies that received a grant under this section.

SB503,4,10 (b) The number of firearms received through each safe firearm disposal incentive program and the total number of firearms received through all safe firearm disposal incentive programs.

SB503,4,12 (c) Recommendations on improving safe firearm disposal incentive programs and the administration of grants under this section.

SB503,4,19 (6) An individual who is submitting a firearm to a grant recipient under this section is immune from prosecution for a violation under s. 941.29 if the individual is on the specific property owned, leased, or used for the program, except that, if the individual commits a crime while on the specific property, the individual may be prosecuted for a violation under s. 941.29. Submission of a firearm to a grant recipient under this section may not be used to establish probable cause for a violation of s. 941.29.

SB503,4 Section 4. Fiscal changes.

SB503,5,5 (1) Grant administration. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of justice under s. 20.455 (2) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2025-26 is increased by $85,000 to increase the authorized FTE positions by 0.75 GPR position for a grant specialist and policy program analyst for the program under s. 165.985. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of justice under s. 20.455 (2) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2026-27 is increased by $85,000 to provide funding for the position authorized under this subsection.

SB503,5,6 (end)