Tennessee: Committees to Act on Multiple Gun Bills This Week

Numerous gun bills are slated for action this week in the Volunteer State.  It is important that NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters stay vigilant and aware as hearings proceed.

The below pro-gun measures will be considered in the House Civil Justice Committee this week:

Pro-Gun

HB 2330 strengthens the right-to-carry of Tennessee residents by turning the current enhanced handgun carry permit into a lifetime permit, while eliminating the existing lifetime handgun carry permit framework. In short, it would turn the standard permit into a lifetime permit and get rid of the existing lifetime permit language.  This would have distinct benefits: 

1. Those seeking the new lifetime enhanced permit would only be subject to the existing standard enhanced permit’s application fee of $100; a $200 savings for those seeking a lifetime permit. 
2. Rather than only being open to those over the age of 21, the new lifetime enhanced permit would be open to those over 18 and under 21 with military backgrounds that may obtain a standard enhanced permit at present.

HB 1735 lowers the age at which a person could exercise their Right-to-Carry without a permit to 18, regardless of military background.  It would also lower the age to obtain an enhanced handgun carry permit to 18.

HB 1898 alters the enhanced handgun permit carry statute (T. C. A. § 39-17-1351), the temporary handgun carry permit statute (T. C. A. § 39-17-1365), and the concealed handgun carry permit statute (T. C. A. § 39-17-1366) to provide that these permit holders may carry a firearm for self-defense rather than just a handgun.  House Bill 1898 has yet to be passed out of the House Civil Justice Subcommittee and is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow.

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The below anti-gun measures are all scheduled for committee hearings in the following days. Those hearings are outlined below:

Anti-Gun

HB 2087 creates a Class C misdemeanor for storing a firearm or ammunition in an unattended motor vehicle or boat “unless the firearm or firearm ammunition is kept from ordinary observation and locked within the trunk, utility or glove box, or a locked container securely affixed to the motor vehicle or boat.”  The legislation would also heighten the existing storage requirement under the parking lot statute.  HB2087 also creates a lost or stolen firearm reporting requirement whereby a person would be required to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours of discovering it missing. A violation would be a Class C misdemeanor.  Scheduled for a hearing in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 2.

HB 2724 repeals Tennessee’s protections for those storing or transporting their firearm while using public or private parking areas.  Scheduled for a hearing in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee tomorrow.

HB 1588 is an anti-gun measure that allows for the revocation of one’s Second Amendment rights without proper due process of law being followed.  So-called “red flag” laws are dangerous in their disregard for the process that must be followed to ensure that constitutional rights are not wrongfully revoked.  Scheduled for a hearing in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 2.

Again, please stay-tuned to NRA-ILA Alerts for more information as these measures are considered and receive committee action.  Click the “Take Action” button above to contact members of the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee and ask them to OPPOSE House Bill 1588.