IA HF519

Requires the Iowa Department of Public Safety to sell seized or forfeited legal firearms and ammunition at public auction, rather than allowing destruction as an option under current law

Allows the department to retain firearms and ammunition for law enforcement use, criminalistics laboratory testing, or the department's weapons archive if items have distinctive or unique characteristics

Prohibits transfer of firearms or ammunition to federal agencies or agencies from other states, except in exchange for firearms needed by the department or in extraordinary circumstances individually approved by the commissioner

Permits destruction of firearms or ammunition only if items fail to sell at public auction, or in the case of ammunition, if determined to be damaged or unsafe for use

Exempts illegal weapons and offensive weapons (as defined by Iowa Code section 724.1) from the public auction requirement, allowing those to be destroyed