Notification bill on police-returned guns nears final legislative passage



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The state House unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that enables a notification system for family members when police return confiscated guns to a person.

Senate Bill 5381 passed the House 97-0 after clearing the Senate 49-0 in February.

An amendment added to the bill by the House Wednesday must still be approved by the Senate before the measure can go to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. The amendment exempts incidents such as traffic stops in which police take firearms for short periods of time.

The bill is named the Sheena Henderson Act for the Spokane woman who was killed by her husband who used a police-returned gun in a murder-suicide last summer.