The Tennessee Legislature, as a whole, has demonstrated at this point in its 2 year legislative cycle following the United States Supreme Court June 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, No. 20-843 that it does not care what the Supreme Court says or what the Second Amendment means. At present, TFA is tracking over 200 bills filed in the 2023 and 2024 Legislative cycle (excluding all the craziness that was filed during Bill Lee’s Special Session in August 2023).
Here are some bills that are set to be considered in various committees the week of March 11, 2024 that may be of interest to you or that may need for you to contact your legislators and the committee members.
Calendar Report – Week of March 11
Bill Activity Report – Week of March 4
Bills to Support
HB1909 (Bulso) SB1868 (Hensley) – this bill seeks to address and remove restrictions on carrying non-lethal self defense weapons on public college or university campuses. It was broader but the House amended it to apply only to public facilities. (The House Amendment should not be accepted by the Senate).
HB2883 (Todd) SB2788 (Pody) addresses law enforcement and enhanced permit holders being allowed to possess firearms on public school properties.
HB2465 (Stevens) SB2910 (Bailey) prohibits merchant codes for sellers or firearms or ammunition other than “general merchandise” or “sporting goods”
HB2762 (Grills) SB2223 (Johnson) prohibits merchant codes for sellers or firearms or ammunition
HB1631 (Bulso) SB1708 (Bailey) allows private K-12 schools to adopt their own firearms policies
Bills to Oppose
Note: In reviewing this list, pay particular attention to the identity of bill sponsors and co-sponsors.
HB2901 (Kumar) SB 2734 (Jackson) – this bill portends to change the grounds for which an individual can be subjected to emergency detention and admission to a treatment facility as a result of that individual posing an “imminent” rather than an “immediate risk of harm. This bill, although at present silent on firearms or weapons, is so closely aligned to a Red Flag law that it is at risk for last minute amendments to convert it into a Red Flag law.
HB1823 (Farmer) SB1697 (Walley) – This bill seeks to create a “firearm hold agreement” which would allow an individual to enter into an agreement with a FFL to voluntarily hold the individual’s firearm(s). If the intent of the law was for voluntary safekeeping, it is unnecessary. The danger is that the bill is broadly captions and could be easily amended to become a “no sale” circumstance where the individual might be placed on a prohibited person status.
HB1720 (Gillespie) SB2574 (Taylor) – makes it a Class C felony to “to receive, possess, store, barter, sell, transfer, or dispose of a stolen firearm or firearm ammunition”. There is no indication why existing sentencing classifications based on the value of the stolen items are inadequate which raises the question of whether this again is a caption that is subject to a last minute amendment to do something different.
HB1640 (Lamberth) SB1769 (Lundberg) – this bill seeks to change existing Tennessee law concerning prohibited person status for those who are found unable to stand trial by reason of mental health. The proposal would expand the provision in the federal Gun Control Act Section 922(g)(4) which applies only to individuals “who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution;”. This bill would also include people who are neither adjudicated as “mental defective” – which is different than having a mental illness under federal law – nor “committed” to a mental institute. The bill sponsors have not, at this time, demonstrated a Bruen Basis for this expansion.
HB2288 (Hale) SB1731 (Walley) – possible caption bill.
HB2505 (Harris) SB238 (Akbari) – creates storage requirements for ammunition
HB2329 (Pearson) SB2449 (Akbari) -seeks to repeal the permitless carry defense but fails to implement true constitutional carry in its place.
HB2333 (Pearson) SB2453 (Akbari) – seeks to ban “auto sears”, “switches” and/or “a firearm built from a weapon parts kit” including frame or receiver parts kits.
HB2336 (Pearson) SB2456 (Akbari) – seeks to ban “80%” frames and receivers.
HB2352 (Johnson) SB2288 (Oliver) – requires owner to report theft or loss of a firearm within 48 hours.
HB2606 (Johnson) SB2555 (Lamar) – seeks to alter the circumstances for and individuals who can petition for emergency orders of protection “if [the person is] allowed to purchase or possess a firearm – this is a RED FLAG law.
HB2192 (Mitchell) SB2194 (Campbell) – seeks to impose a 14 day waiting period for purchase of a firearm
HB2196 (Mitchell) SB2192 (Campbell) – seeks to band magazines or “ammunition feeding devices” that hold more than 10 rounds
HB2277 (Mitchell) SB2193 (Campbell) – seeks to prohibit sales of firearms to anyone under the age of 21. This proposal would likely violate the injunction that is against the state as a result of the Beeler decision in 2023.
HB2824 (Camper) SB1693 (Akbari) – seeks to create a taxpayer funded “office of gun violence prevention”
HB1596 (Pearson) SB2961 (Akbari) – seeks to create a 15 “business day” waiting period following the completion of a criminal background check.
HB2958 (Hardaway) SB2233 (Campbell) – seeks to create a firearms mandatory storage requirement at the person’s residence.
HB2963 (Hardaway) SB2887 (Kyle) – Introduces a Class E felony for intentionally or knowingly possessing, manufacturing, transporting, repairing, or selling a switch or auto sear device that is designed, made or intended for use in converting a weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot by a single function trigger without manual reloading.
HB1583 (Pearson) SB2948 (Akbari) – seeks to require all firearms owners in the state to carry a $300,000 minimum liability insurance policy
HB2825 (Camper) SB1686 (Lamar) – seeks to allow counties to enact resolutions to ban the carry of handguns by individuals who do not have a handgun permit
HB1712 (Freeman) SB1652 (Campbell) – Red Flag law
HB2195 (Mitchell) SB2189 (Campbell) – would ban poession of “assault weapon” unless the individual possessed the firearm prior to July 1, 2024. Would require assault weapon possessors to register with Department of Safety by July 1, 2025. Bill would create procedures for inheritance and/or transfer of “pre-ban” assault weapons.
HB2648 (McKenzie) SB2475 (Akbari) – would require anyone desiring to carry a handgun to have a permit and obtain range training and completion of a safety course. Eliminates the renewal of the concealed only permits.
HB1667 (Hemmer) SB1695 (Yarbro) – would allow local governments to regulate the storage of firearms in motor vehicles when unoccupied – applies to counties based on population size.
HB1585 (Pearson) SB2950 (Akbari) – would require the development of a “public awareness campaign on mental health and gun safety”.
HB1954 (Parkinson) SB2871 (Akbari) – would increase penalty for transferring firearm to a minor to a D Felony (presently a misdemeanor). Would create D felony of inducing a minor to commit certain crimes. House Amendment modifies the bill but is not available on the state website.
HB2193 (Mitchell) SB2191 (Campbell) – would impose 15% additional tax on sale of firearms and directs funds to be used for K-12 mental health coordinator fund
HB1590 (Pearson) SB2955 (Akbari) – allocates all sales tax on firearms, ammunition and accessories to be allocated to local education agencies to employ school mental health staff and fund after school programs.
Please share this information and these links with your friends, families and legislators. We have, where appropriate, included comments on each bill as to whether TFA supports or opposes the bill. Also, the names of Legislators in the Calendar report are clickable so you can email them directly from the report.
Contact your legislators as well as the bill sponsors and committee members (see Calendar report) with your position or questions about these bills.