Good Tennessee Second Amendment Bills Being Rejected Again

Photo Credit: Fibonacci Blue / CC

Published April 26, 2021

By John Harris [The Tennessee Firearms Association] – 

There were three bills that the Tennessee Firearms Association views as significant which had activity last week. 

SB1148/HB25 is legislation that would materially improve Tennessee’s civil immunity statute for those individuals who use deadly force in justifiable self-defense.  

It would merely prohibit the filing and prosecution of a civil case until the criminal investigation and/or trial is over.  

The bill passed the house on March 29 with significant support even among some Democrats.  

However, we had been alerted that the Senate Judiciary committee was going to kill it.  

With additional work, the bill did come out of the Senate Judiciary committee on party lines by a vote of 7-2. We expect this to be heard on the Floor of the Senate this week although it is not scheduled for the Monday calendar. 
 
SB1333/HB899 is legislation that would create a civil right of action against a government entity that violates a person’s right to bear arms.  

This is the second year that this bill has been filed and it is legislation that is supported by conservative legislators.  

The bill failed recently in the Senate Judiciary Committee (9 members, 7 identify as Republicans). This effectively killed this bill for 2021. 

 SB1391/HB1388 is legislation that would have simply deleted the provision that makes it a crime to carry a firearm in Tennessee “with the intent to go armed”.  

By deleting that provision, Tennessee would have come much closer to true constitutional carry.  

The bill is much better than the Governor’s permitless carry bill. The bill failed recently in the Senate Judiciary Committee (9 members, 7 identify as Republicans). This effectively killed this bill for 2021. 
 
There are several bills set for hearing this week. None of them are significant for purposes of advancing or protecting our rights. 
 
HB446 is titled the Tennessee Firearm Protection Act. It is not supported by TFA in its present format because it lacks effective enforcement provisions. Without effective enforcement provisions, it is unlikely that the legislation will actually protect the rights of Tennesseans. 

SB1335 is the Tennessee Second Amendment Sanctuary Act. It is not supported by TFA in its present format because it lacks effective enforcement provisions. Without effective enforcement provisions, it is unlikely that the legislation will actually protect the rights of Tennesseans. 

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