The Texas Senate on Monday passed House Bill 3053, which adds section 280.005 to the Local Government Code to prohibit counties and municipalities from organizing, sponsoring or participating in programs that purchase firearms from private citizens.

Senator Hall, the bill's sponsor, said the measure "safeguards the Second Amendment rights of Texans" and argued governmental buyback programs are ineffective and a poor use of taxpayer funds. He said the bill prevents the use of public money to purchase firearms that would then be destroyed and noted concerns that buybacks could create incentives for criminals to dispose of evidence.

Opponents at length questioned the state's decision to prevent local governments from offering volunteer or privately funded options to help residents, particularly elderly or rural residents, dispose of unwanted firearms. Senator Menendez and others pressed whether the bill would prohibit programs funded by non-taxpayer sources (gift cards donated by businesses) and whether private sales or non-governmental programs would still be allowed; Hall said private, voluntary sales between individuals or businesses would remain lawful but that "it's not the role of government" to buy guns. Senator Miles, Senator Gutierrez and others said the ban micromanages local elected officials and could make communities less safe by eliminating convenient disposal programs for seniors and others without access to the open market.

Senate debate drew repeatedly on examples of local programs and testimony from police chiefs who questioned buyback efficacy. The Senate voted to suspend regular order, debated, and then passed the bill; the recorded votes in the transcript show the third-reading passage with 20 ayes and 11 nays on one procedural tally and later a 20-11 tally on third reading with the bill ultimately recorded as passed after subsequent roll calls.