The Legislature took up, to some extent, a significant number of bills that Tennessee Firearms Association is tracking.  The report indicates at least 70 bills had some form of activity this week.  What is concerning is that some of the better bills are being killed off by Republican controlled committees so that your legislator may not vote and thus your voice may not even be heard on these bills.

One particular bill that warrants attention and for which voters need to be calling Senators is SB2516/HB2689 (Sen. Niceley and Rep. Doggett).  What happened this week on this bill in the Senate Judiciary is unacceptable!   

This bill would have established, in addition to any claims that could be brought under the Federal Civil Rights Act, a state civil action against person or entity that infringes upon a person's right to bear arms under the Tennessee or United States constitutions.  This bill was presented by Senator Nicely in Senate Judiciary on March 20, 2024 (video).  

TFA's Richard Archie traveled to testify in support of the bill.   The bill failed in the Senate Judiciary which has 7 Republicans and 2 Democrats.  It failed because one Republican, Senator Dawn White, moved to pass the bill (thank you) but no other Republican (or Democrat) on the committee would even give the bill a "second" which was required to have a vote on the bill.  This is unacceptable and these Senate Judiciary members need to be contacted to demand that this action be reconsidered and that this legislation be moved forward.

There are many bills that we expect to be heard during the next two weeks.  TFA's comments and position on the bills are included in the Calendar report.

Bills that need your support:

SB908/HB994 by Sen. Niceley and Rep. Keisling addresses the use of deadly force by private citizens making an arrest and is intended to clarify that a threat to use deadly force by a private citizen making an arrest is not in itself considered a use of deadly force.

SB2180/HB1904 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Fritts would authorize individuals with the enhanced handgun carry permit or concealed handgun carry permit to carry into certain posted locations but would provide that the property owner could request that the individual leave the property, if armed, and the refusal to do so when requested could be prosecuted as criminal trespass.

SB2449/HB2329 Sen. Hensley and Rep. Doggett would modify existing laws to allow, in limited circumstances, a licensed attorney to possess a concealed handgun in a courthouse or courtroom.

SB2736/HB2812 Sen. Niceley and Rep. Hulsey would create a criminal procedure in Tennessee that exists in other states where someone charged with a crime but for which the affirmative defense of self-defense may be applicable to obtain a hearing with the judge prior to the full criminal trial to force the state to provide adequate proof that it can negate the self-defense issue beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.    This is to combat instances where district attorneys pull stunts such as upcharging or withholding exculpatory evidence as apparently occurred in the Kyle Rittenhouse persecution.

Bills that need your opposition:

SB1693/HB2824 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Camper would create an office of gun violence prevention at taxpayer expense.  The bill does not focus on "violence prevention" but instead the focus of the bill is the issue of "gun violence" - or more specifically to develop information that the sponsors apparently hope would be support for enacting future gun control legislation.

SB1695/HB1667 by Sen. Yarbro and Rep. Hemmer would seek to permit local governments to regulate firearms in unoccupied vehicles.  This is a category of "safe storage" laws that seek to make criminals and/or to otherwise punish people who have firearms stolen or improperly secured in private vehicles. 

SB1729/HB1728 by Sen. Lamar and Rep. Hakeem seeks to create an offense of aggravated stalking but the focus of the bill is the civilian ownership of semi-automatic rifles. 

SB1731/HB2288 by Sen. Walley and Rep. Hale seeks to create a Class D felony for someone to use or possess a firearm in the commission or escape from a non-violent felony.  Perhaps, the sponsors want to make it a Class D felony to write a bad check over a certain amount while possessing a firearm but the point is that the proposed Class D felony would occur by possession of a firearm while committing a non-violent offense.

SB1769/HB1640 by Sen. Lundberg and Rep. Lamberth extensive bill to redefine the term "mental defective", which generally means an individual with a mental impairment that they were born with, to include individuals who are found not guilty or unable to stand trial due to mental incompetence at the time of the offense or the trial.  The legislation focuses on classifying this different category of individuals as to dangerous to be allowed to exercise a civil right but at the same time the bill's sponsors and supporters want to leave these dangerous individuals at large in society but simply "theoretically" disarmed.  Note that practically none of the Republicans who typically support true Second Amendment legislation are signed on as co-sponsors.

SB1785/HB2199 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Mitchell seeks (again) to enact MaKayla's Law which is a category of law that imposes criminal penalties and other potential consequences on those who do not comply with the 2nd Amendment infringing storage requirements.

SB1830/HB1821 by Sen. Lamar and Rep. Miller seeks to create a law applicable only in Shelby County such that the enhanced handgun permit or a concealed handgun carry permit would be required to carry a firearm in that jurisdiction. Effectively, these legislators seek to exempt Shelby County from the permitless carry affirmative defense.

SB1869/HB2872 by Sen. Yarbro and Rep. Hemmer.   This bill, functionally is similar to SB1769/HB1640 by Sen. Lundberg and Rep. Lamberth but the main difference is that this one is carried by Democrats.

SB1880/HB1981 by Sen. Kyle and Rep. Justin Jones (Tennessee 3 fame) seems to increase charges for criminal offense involving possession of a firearm if someone has a prior stalking conviction. 

SB2020/HB1695 by Sen. Reeves and Rep. Alexander would expand Tennessee exceptions to open records laws to exclude autopsy reports of minors who were victims of violent crimes.   This would not impact autopsy reports of minors who did by any cause that is not classified a violent crime.  This appears to be another response the Covenant incident and seeks yet another effort to preclude the public from accessing public records.

SB2123/HB2735 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Hemmer seeks to create certain firearms related offense but the concern is that the legislation is broadly captioned and could be used for other purposes.

SB2178/HB2908 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Kumar.  This is a repeat proposal, which has been defeated in prior efforts, to establish a system where a person can "voluntarily" waive the right to purchase firearms and thus self-classify as a prohibited person.  This is a dangerous proposal which could be abused, for example, by court's conditioning disposition of cases and/or domestic matters on an individual "voluntarily" signing up as a prohibited person.

SB2192/HB2196 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Mitchell would ban large capacity magazines.

SB2193/HB2277 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Mitchell would prohibit the sale of firearms to persons under 21 years of age.

SB2194/HB2192 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Mitchell would create a 14 day waiting period before a dealer could transfer a firearm to a purchaser.

SB2233/HB2958 by Sen. Campbell and Rep. Hardaway would create criminal penalties for failure to comply with mandated safe storage requirements.

SB2287/HB2350 by Sen. Oliver and Rep. Johnson (Tennessee 3 fame) would prohibit an adult allowing a child to have access to a firearm without supervision.

SB2288/HB2352 by Sen. Oliver and Rep. Johnson (Tennessee 3 fame) requires the owner of a firearm to reports its loss or theft within 48 hours.

SB2438/HB2505 Sen. Akbari and Rep. Harris would create a requirement to maintain ammunition in an area inaccessible to customers in a retail store (possible caption bill).

SB2488/HB2837 by Sen. Kyle and Rep. Towns would create an offense of reckless endangerment involving the display of a firearm and mandatory revocation of driver's license as well as the seizure of the motor vehicle. 

SB2555/HB2606 by Sen. Lamar and Rep. Johnson (Tennessee 3 fame) would establish a Red Flag law somewhat like what Governor Bill Lee and certain Legislature leaders supported in 2023.

SB2574/HB1720 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Gillespie would create a special category of sentence for theft of a firearm valued at less than $60,000.  This is legislation targeted toward firearms rather than to create a class of sentence based on the value of any item of personal property and, consequently, raises concerns.

SB2734/HB2901 by Sen. Jackson and Rep. Kumar - changes the circumstances for emergency involuntary committals.

SB2887/HB2963 by Sen. Kyle and Rep. Hardaway prohibits the possession, manufacture, transport, repair, or sale of a switch or auto sear device.  

SB2911/HB1600 by Sen. Bailey and Rep. Williams would increase in certain circumstances the age threshold for possessing or purchasing firearms to age 25.

SB2950/HB1585 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would create at taxpayer expense a mental health & gun safety awareness campaign but does not address mental health and mental health related violence in general.  Seeks to focus on firearms for possible future gun control proposals.

SB2952/HB1587 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would prohibit manufacturing of semi-automatic rifles.

SB2954/HB1589 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would ban detachable firearm ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.  

SB2957/HB1592 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would impose fines for failure to report loss or theft of firearms within 24 hours.

SB2958/HB1593 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would mandate that firearm sales must be conducted through federally license dealers.

SB2960/HB1595 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would establish a committee to study gun violence.

SB2961/HB1596 by Sen. Akbari and Rep. Justin Pearson (Tennessee 3 fame) would create a gun purchase waiting period of 15 business days.

Calendar Report for Week of March 25, 2024.

The TFA and GOA 2024 Gun Owner Lobby Day has been planned for some time for April 2, 2024.  Please get more information and register (free) for the activities that day here.  While there is no fee to attend, we do need your registrations to help organize the day and to order lunch.