TFA is tracking 66 new bills in 2019 in Tennessee Legislature – but not “constitutional carry”

Legislators, their staff and “interested parties” have been busy writing a lot of bills for 2019 – approximately 2,000 so far. Of those, TFA has identified approximately 66 that it is tracking based on content or captions of the original bills.

It is important to understand that the language that is in a bill or its original description may have little to do with what the final bill, if it passes, may do. For example, some of the bills, like SB95/HB41, have already been amended to delete the entire body of the original bill and substitute entirely new language. 

This is a common practice, that is sometimes deceiving, as bills are filed to suggest one purpose and then amended to do something entirely different (as was the case a few years ago with a bill that originally would have held property owners that “post” liable for injuries occurring on their gun free zones but was amended to grant immunity to property owners who don’t post). 



Therefore, it is important to read the text of the bills and not just these captions.  You can look up the bills based on the HBxxxx or SBxxxx numbers on the Legislative website.

If you are aware of a bill that you think TFA should be tracking but its not on the list, please let us know.

There are a few bills of special note.

SB446/HB187 by Sen. Mike Bell and Rep. Jay Reedy.  This is a bill that TFA strongly supports.  It prohibits local governments from discriminating against individuals and entities that promote 2nd Amendment issues, gun shows, outdoor shows, hunting events, with respect to the rental of publicly available facilities such as meeting rooms or venues at fairgrounds, parks, and public buildings.  This is a high priority bill.

SB1275/HB409 by Sen. Mark Pody and Rep. Griffey.  This bill would impose specific duties on law enforcement and district attorneys to investigate whether a civilian use of force was credibly self defense (many other states like Florida already require this).  It also prohibits civil claims until the criminal case, if any is over, and provides civil immunity if it is determined that the use of force was self defense.  This is a high priority bill.

SB594/HB712 by Sen. Roberts and Rep. Faison.  This is a technical bill to eliminate multiple inconsistent definitions of a firearm in Tennessee statutes by adopting the same definition of a firearm as contained in the 1968 Gun Control Act.

SB705/HB1264 by Sen. Stevens and Rep. Holt.  This is a curious bill because various House leaders including Casada and Lamberth are co-sponsors already.  The bill would create a 2nd type of permit in Tennessee – a concealed weapons only permit and would reclassify the existing permits as “enhanced permits”.  The proposed “concealed permit” would under the bill’s initial language be issued by the Department of Safety with no fee charged.  It would also not require the completion of the Department of Safety’s handgun training program but would accept training such as third party courses including hunter safety courses.  The bill could potentially be amended to be constitutional carry if enough pressure was applied and amendments were made to strip out certain provisions and add others.  The bill should be carefully assessed.

SB943/HB1049 by Sen. Kyle and Rep. Johnson would enact the “Families Know First Act” which is a “Red Flag” law that provides a means for “extreme risk protection orders” and should be defeated.  Tennessee already has laws on involuntary committals and dealing with people who pose an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others as a result of mental or emotional problems.  This bill is just a “weapons grab” like most Red Flag laws.

SB1178/HB1446 by Sen. Dickerson and Rep. Deberry. This is the expected “Red Flag” bill from Sen. Dickerson and should be defeated.

SB1312/HB1476 by Sen. Kyle and Rep. Hardaway – another bill to hold people liable if guns are not unloaded and securely stored even if no one is harmed.  Diverts funds to the domestic violence fund.

SB258/HB260 – this is a rewrite of the previously defeated bill by Sen. Kyle (D.) to hold parents and adults liable if their guns are not securely stored, even locked and unloaded, and as a result someone is injured.  This is a dangerous bill that sets a dangerous precedent and should be defeated.  There is a similar bill under SB813/HB801 which pertains to leaving a firearm unattended in a car if there are minors in the car.

SB403/HB167 – this bill does various things under a broad caption that makes it a dangerous bill for purposes of amendments.  It covers everything from minimum sentences for firearms thefts, to carrying weapons and drugs into prisons, to reinstating drivers licenses for habitual offenders.  This bill should be carefully watched and defeated in its current form.

SB1010/HB1427 by Sen. Gilmore and Rep. Stewart – this bill would eliminate the “casual sale exception” and require that all gun transfers, even between individuals, be conducted through FFLs.

SB1402/HB754 by Sen. Bell and Rep. Smith.  This bill would create long term firearms prohibitions for those individuals who have been evaluated for involuntary committals but instead voluntarily agree to inpatient treatment.  This bill could discourage people from getting evaluations and voluntarily agreeing to be assessed or treated.

It is important that you read and study these bills that may be of interest to you and that you encourage your friends, families, employees and social media “contacts” to contact these legislators to support or oppose these bills as appropriate. 

Whatever contacts you have always remember to demand that they enact “full constitutional carry” and that they eliminate the “gun free zones”.