DALLAS — Short-barrel or "sawed-off" firearms, once banned, are one step from being legalized in Texas.

The bill, SB 1596, authored by state Sen. Brent Hagenbuch, R-Denton, would remove short-barrel guns from the state's list of weapons that are banned unless they're registered with the federal government, which involves paying a $200 tax and passing a background check , according to the ATF, or classified as a curio or relic.

Short-barrel guns are defined by law as a rifle with a barrel length of less than 16 inches or a shotgun with a barrel length of less than 18 inches, or any weapon made from a shotgun or rifle if, as altered, it has an overall length of less than 26 inches.

The Senate version of the bill passed the Texas House in a 87-52 vote Wednesday and now heads to Gov. Gre

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