“Red Flag Gun Bill” To Expand Mandatory Reporting Passes In Tennessee Senate
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Legislation flagged as a “Red Flag Bill” by critics that aims to expand mandatory reporting laws for mental health professionals to report the possibility of potentially violent acts by their patients passed on the floor of the Tennessee Senate on Thursday by a vote of 30-0.
Senate Bill 1673 (SB1673) / House Bill 1625 (HB1625) is being sponsored by Sen. Becky Massey (R-Knoxville-District 6) in the Senate and Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-District 14) in the House of Representatives.
The legislation passed in the House for a second time on February 22nd, 2024 by a 79-7 vote.
During Thursday’s Senate proceedings, SB1673/HB1625 was amended to make “a technical correction” according to Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City-District 3).
Sen. Massey briefly introduced the legislation saying that the problem with current state law on the subject is that it does not clearly tell mental health practitioners who to report these “clearly identified threats” to.
“The new language says that if the threat is made to a group of people related to a school, related to a family member of the patient, then the mental health practitioner is required to act by reporting it to law enforcement if they see it as an immediate threat, or to 988 or to their local health facility if they think the person needs to be evaluated,” stated Sen. Massey.
Under this legislation, mental health practitioners are to use the “reasonable skill, knowledge and care ordinarily possessed by exercising their professional skill.”
According to Sen. Massey it also provides civil immunity to “any mental health practitioner who does not report their patient.”
She also noted that this legislation has garnered full support from the Tennessee Psychological Association and was brought to Rep. Zachary by Covenant School parents out of the Nashville area.
With no further discussion, Senate members cast their votes and SB1673/HB1625 passed by a vote of 30-0.
Republican Senators Bailey, Bowling, Crowe, Gardenhire, Haile, Hensley, Jackson, Johnson, Lowe, Lundberg, Massey, Niceley, Powers, Reeves, Roberts, Rose, Southerland, Stevens, Swann, Taylor, Walley, Watson, White, Yager and Lt. Gov. McNally voted in favor of this legislation alongside Democrat Senators Campbell, Kyle, Lamar, Oliver and Yarbro.
Critics of this legislation previously voiced concerns about privacy laws, where reported information will be stored and how it will be used as well as about providing mental health professionals with civil, criminal and regulatory immunity given the subjective way in which a mental health professional could perceive something to be a threat.
Now that this legislation has been passed in both chambers of the state legislature, it will be enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker of the Senate before being sent to Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) for his signature.
The governor can choose to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law absent his signature. SB1673/HB1625 will take effect immediately upon becoming law.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
Our great President Donald Trump had it right when he said “we should take the guns first and worry about due process later!”
Why the other Republicans don’t see the sense in this I’ll never know, Donald Trump is right about red flag laws, just like he was right about banning bump stocks.
Remember, it was the Obama/Biden administration that recognized the right of citizens to own bump stocks, it’s their fault Americans ever had the opportunity to own bump stocks.
While it might be a good law in Theory but can lead to numerous avenues for abuse if there are no accountability for those with a ax to grind or political agenda!!
mental health care folks will now be afraid to violate the law, So everyone is now a violent threat.
mental health care professionals will now be afraid to violate the law, So everyone is now a violent threat.
No …
Due process
HIPPA
Accountability
the so-called mental
health (marxist)
industry now has carte
blanche
to implement
Gun control
This bill also protects phd wack jobs from lawsuits for incompetence and malpractice
This law will get busted after the first lawsuit
*
VERY well said these PHD nut jobs are the same ones saying men can be women, this is just one more BACK DOOR ANTI GUN BILL.
How can you penalize a person for a crime they never committed, or being convicted of???
Trump was penalized in Wyoming for a crime he never committed or was convicted of.
Is this the “NEW JUSTICE SYSTEM” for America???
Isa 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
Unless this is very carefully administered, lawsuits will result.
I am afraid that liberals will have a heyday turning in their neighbors who own firearms especially in Tennessee’s larger cities.
Representative Zachary, April 25, 2023 edition of his weekly e-Newsletter:
“A red flag law/order of protection does not address our mental health crisis or the evil that drives people to commit horrific acts. I do not foresee a time when the House GOP will support any legislation that does not preserve due process, protect your 2nd Amendment rights or truly address our mental health crisis.”
So, how well did these two bills address all these claims?
As dear Mom oft said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
This is just one more step towards Communism . Due process is not guaranteed any longer . When will the fools ever learn ?
Tennessee is no longer a member of the Constitutional Representative Republic of the United States.
Tennessee now belongs to to the Socialist Democrat soviet State of Bloomberg.
I did not see any mention of exposing the Dangerous Drugs that are being prescribed to the Tranny Terrorist Murderers and the Mental Experts that prescribe them.
Trannys taking these drugs are prone to going postal.
This could not happen without corrupt Trotskyite Rino’s.
I guess Aiden Hale won. The mentally ill continue to be used to destroy this once great country.
Your civil rights come from man. This was designed to destroy this country.
You natural rights come from God.