Tennessee: School Safety Bills to be Considered in House and Senate Committees Next Week

Two school safety bills have been placed on committee calendars for next week. Senate Bill 472 is scheduled for consideration in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 27, at 10:30 a.m. The House companion to SB 472, House Bill 504 sponsored by state Representative Eric Watson (R-22), is set to be heard in the House Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 26, at 1:30 p.m.  As introduced, SB472/HB504 requires districtwide school safety plans to include a requirement that at least one school resource officer or similarly trained staff member be present at each school during school hours.

School faculty members are entrusted with the education and care of our children every day and should be allowed to protect them in every possible manner.  HB504/SB472 would ensure that our children’s lives are protected when they enter onto school property.

Also on Tuesday, March 26, House Bill 10 is being heard in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee.  As introduced, House Bill 10 prohibits the allocation of state or local public funds to the regulation or enforcement of any federal firearms law that becomes effective on or after January 1, 2013.  Please contact members of the House Civil Justice Subcommittee and urge them to support HB10 and any legislation that upholds Tennessee residents’ fundamental right to defend themselves.  Contact information for the House Civil Justice Subcommittee can be found here.

Please call AND e-mail members of the committees below and respectfully urge them to support their respective bills; SB 472 and HB 504.

Senate Education Committee Hearing on SB 472: 

Senator Dolores Gresham (Chairman)
(615) 741-2368
[email protected]

Senator Reginald Tate (1^st Vice-Chairman)
(615) 741-2509
[email protected]

Senator Steven Dickerson (2^nd Vice-Chairman)
(615) 741-6679
[email protected]

Senator Charlotte Burks
(615) 741-3978
[email protected]

Senator Stacey Campfield
(615) 741-1766
[email protected]

Senator Rusty Crowe
(615) 741-2468
[email protected]

Senator Todd Gardenhire
(615) 741-6682
[email protected]

Senator Joey Hensley
(615) 741-3100
[email protected]

Senator Brian Kelsey
(615) 741-3036
[email protected]

House Education Subcommittee Hearing on HB504:

Representative Mark White (Chairman)
(615) 741-4415
[email protected]

Representative Harry Brooks
(615) 741-6879
[email protected]

Representative John DeBerry
(615) 741-2239
[email protected]

Representative John Forgety
(615) 741-1725
[email protected]

Representative Roger Kane
(615) 741-4110
[email protected]

Representative Harold Love
(615) 741-3831
[email protected]

Representative Debra Moody
(615) 741-3774
[email protected]

Representative Joe Pitts
(615) 741-2043
[email protected]

Representative Dawn White
(615) 741-6849
[email protected]