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MARCH 18, 2026 - GUN OWNERS LOBBY DAY
Tennessee Firearms Association joins with Gun Owners of America for Gun Owners Lobby Day. This year is a little different but perhaps even more important!
This year we are asking those who can to join us at the Legislature on March 18. That day is significant for 2nd Amendment Supporters at the Legislature because several bills are scheduled for hearings that are very important. If we do not show up in support of some or in opposition to others, it is likely that the Republican leadership will have essentially choreographed the disposition of these bills by using "closed door" and "back hallway" discussions to arrange the vote and thus eliminate meaningful debate.
Therefore, rather than scheduling meetings with individual legislators, we are asking those who can to come to the Legislature to have a presence at two specific committee hearings. One is the House Judiciary Criminal Justice Subcommittee (meets at 9am) and the other is the House Judiciary committee that meets at noon. The largest and perhaps most important hearing will be the House Judiciary Committee that meets at noon in House Hearing Room 1. Hearing Calendar.
Although there are several firearms related bills scheduled to be heard on the noon calendar, one of the most significant is House Bill 2064. The amendment that was adopted on March 11 has some good sections but it has provisions that are likely unconstitutional and need to be amended out. Another bill, one that needs to be defeated in the committee, is House Bill 1971 which, apparently at the request of the Attorney General, seeks to deny citizens the ability to bring constitutional challenges in court to state statutes. (See TFA's website and search SB1958 or HB1971 for analysis). Bills on the calendar include: 29. HB2376 by Doggett. (*SB2352 by Hensley.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 8 and
Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13. As introduced, states that if the
possession of a handgun is restricted or prohibited at a county
courthouse, then the sheriff of the county may provide secure storage
lockers for those individuals who are lawfully carrying a firearm to
store the firearm in separate secured, lockable storage units at or near
a designated public entrance to the building or structure at no cost to
the individual.
31. *HB2174 by Travis. (SB2469 by Bailey.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13. As
introduced, authorizes certain sitting or retired judges to carry
weapons in any location that a law enforcement officer is authorized to
carry a weapon if the judge could otherwise qualify for an enhanced
handgun carry permit.
48. HB1189 by Grills. (*SB1227 by Lowe.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 7; Title 8; Title 10;
Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49;
Title 50; Title 57; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 70. As introduced,
renames enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and
concealed firearm carry permits and authorizes a permit holder to carry
any firearms, rather than handguns, that the permit holder legally owns
or possesses.
63. *HB2064 by Todd. (SB2467 by Bailey.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39;
Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65. As introduced, repeals the criminal
offenses of unlawfully carrying a firearm or club with the intent to go
armed and carrying or possessing a weapon in or on public parks,
playgrounds, civic centers, and other public recreational buildings and
grounds; allows persons convicted of stalking or a misdemeanor domestic
violence offense to possess a firearm after five years from the date of
conviction. 70. HB1971 by Farmer. (*SB1958 by Stevens.)Remedies
and Special Proceedings - Amends TCA Title 1, Chapter 3 and Title 49.
As introduced, removes the right of a cause of action for any affected
person who seeks declaratory and injunctive relief in any action brought
regarding the legality or constitutionality of a state governmental
action. The other committee meets the same day but at 9:00a.m. - House Judiciary Criminal Justice Subcommittee. Hearing Calendar. Bills of significance include:
Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 39. As introduced, lowers the
standard for the use of deadly force to protect property.
11. *HB1737 by Fritts. (SB1851 by Hensley.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38;
Title 39; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65. As introduced, removes
certain criminal offenses relative to the possession and carrying of
firearms, including the offense of carrying a firearm with the intent to
go armed if the person has been convicted of stalking or DUI in certain
circumstances and the offense of possession of a firearm by a person
under 25 if the person was adjudicated delinquent for certain offenses
as a juvenile; removes the offense of possessing or carrying a weapon in
a public park, playground, civic center, or other public recreational
area; makes various other changes relative to the possession and
carrying of firearms.
12. HB2514 by Fritts. (*SB2478 by Hensley.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38;
Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65. As introduced,
deletes the offense of carrying a firearm or a club with the intent to
go armed, prohibits the carrying of a firearm or weapon inside of a K-12
public or private school and on a school bus if the person's intent is
to go armed and the school and the bus are posted in a certain manner;
deletes the offense of carrying a firearm on the property of a
university, college campus, and other public or private non-K-12
educational institutions or property; rewrites the offense of possessing
a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled
substance or controlled substance analogue; rewrites the offense of
carrying weapons during judicial proceedings; makes various other
changes related to firearms.
16. HB0985 by Reneau. (*SB0824 by Hensley.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13. As
introduced, removes the criminal offense of possession of a weapon in a
building or on property that is properly posted; removes the requirement
that the department of safety suspend or revoke a handgun carry permit
for a violation of that offense by a handgun permit holder.
20. *HB0931 by Towns. (SB0859 by Taylor.)Criminal
Offenses - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 11 and Title 40. As introduced,
specifies that a person using force intended or likely to cause death
or serious bodily injury from within the person's residence or dwelling
is presumed to have acted in self-defense when that force is used
against an individual armed with a deadly weapon who is unlawfully
present on the person's property and outside of the enclosed structure
of the person's residence or dwelling.
26. HB0944 by Mitchell. (*SB0632 by Campbell.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 54; Section 38-3-119 and
Title 39, Chapter 17. As introduced, prohibits the possession of an
assault weapon; directs those in possession of an assault weapon before
July 1, 2025, to apply for a certificate of possession; creates the
Class E felony offense of purchasing, selling, possessing, or using a
part, component, device, or attachment designed to accelerate the fire
of a semiautomatic rifle and makes any semiautomatic rifle that includes
an accelerated fire part, component, or device a prohibited weapon.
27. *HB1058 by Mitchell. (SB1104 by Campbell.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13. As
introduced, requires a gun dealer to ensure that three days have passed
since the transaction was initiated by the purchaser before transferring
a firearm to a purchaser if the purchaser is older than 17 but younger
than 21.
42. HB1757 by Rudder. (*SB1747 by Bowling.)Criminal
Offenses - Amends TCA Title 39. As introduced, creates an offense of
recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water,
or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is
discharged at a place of public gathering or at a public event where
there are at least 25 people in attendance at the time of the discharge;
punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain
exceptions to the offense.
68. HB2575 by Kumar. (*SB2379 by Hensley.)Firearms
and Ammunition - Amends TCA Title 39. As introduced, enacts the
"Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly
discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an
object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a
place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as
a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense;
requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to
instruct on the offense.
Post-Committee Meeting
We have reserved a large meeting room on the 8th Floor from approximately noon to 3pm. In the past we have catered in lunch and invited speakers but are not doing that this year. Instead, we are asking that you make lunch arrangements on your own and that you be at the House Judiciary meeting room by approximately 11:30am. We expect that hearing to extend througout the lunch hour and perhaps much longer given the length of the calendar. Also, be aware that committees frequently take bills on the calendar out of order.
Similarly, if you can attend the House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee do so from approximately 9am until it adjourns at perhaps 10am or thereafter.
During the break between the two hearings, feel free to stop by the offices of your House and Senate members to let them know you are here with TFA and GOA and that you want to see the 2nd Amendment bills (HB2064 for example enacted if amended) and that you want other bills like SB1958/HB1971 that will take away the right to challenge unconstitutional state statutes rejected.
One the hearing in House Judiciary (noon hearings) are over, make your way up to the meeting room on the 8th Floor. We will have an open discussion on the day's events and next steps.
What can you do now?
- Contact your legislators to demand that they ensure that these two statutes are repealed before they adjourn this year.
- Insist that your legislators demand the amendment of HB2064 and SB2467 to clean it up to only address the unconstitutional statutes.
- Insist that your legislators defeat SB1958/HB1971 in order to preserve your right to bring court challenges to unconstitutional state statutes (such as was done in the Hughes et al v. Lee et al lawsuit).
- Share this information with family, friends and other Second
Amendment supporters to encourage them to attend one or both hearings on March 18.
- Share this information with family, friends and other Second
Amendment supporters to encourage them to contact their legislators.
If you appreciate the work of the Tennessee Firearms Association on
issues such as this, please consider joining. You can also made
charitable donations to the Tennessee Firearms Foundation
to help fund this and other public interest litigation that focuses on
restoring fully the rights protected from government infringement by the
Constitutions. |
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