Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific penalties for violations beyond classifying it as a Class B misdemeanor.

Law to Protect First Responders

This law makes it a crime for someone to ignore a warning from a first responder and get too close to them while they are doing their job.

What This Bill Does

• Defines 'first responder' as including police officers, corrections officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency service personnel.
• Says that if someone gets within 25 feet of a first responder after being told not to, it can be against the law if they intend to impede or interfere with the first responder's duties, threaten them with physical harm, or harass them.

Who It Names or Affects

• First responders like police officers and firefighters
• People who might ignore warnings from first responders

Terms To Know

first responder

A person such as a police officer, corrections officer, firefighter, EMT, or other emergency service personnel who helps in emergencies.

harass

To knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed at a first responder that intentionally causes the first responder to feel substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much it will cost to enforce the new law.
• It is unclear what specific penalties are for violating this law besides being charged with a Class B misdemeanor.

Official Summary Text

This bill provides that a person commits a Class B misdemeanor if the person,
after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from an individual, who the person knows or reasonably should know is a

law enforcement officer, corrections officer, firefighter
, emergency medical technician, or other emergency service personnel
(together, "
first responder
")
and who is engaged in the lawful performance of the first responder's official duties, knowingly violate
s
the warning and approach
es
or remain
s
within
25
fee
t of the first responder with the intent to
(i) i
mpede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform the first responder's official duties;

(
ii
)
t
hreaten the first responder with physical harm; or

(
iii
)
h
arass the first responder.
As used in
this bill, "harass" means
to knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed at a first responder that intentionally causes the first responder to feel substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 979
By Southerland

HOUSE BILL 158
By Eldridge

HB0158
001228
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to offenses against first responders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 5, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "First responder" means a law enforcement officer, corrections officer,
firefighter, emergency medical technician, or other emergency service personnel;
and
(2) "Harass" means to knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed
at a first responder that intentionally causes the first responder to feel substantial
emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.
(b) It is an offense for a person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach
from an individual, who the person knows or reasonably should know is a first responder
and who is engaged in the lawful performance of the first responder's official duties, to
knowingly violate the warning and approach or remain within twenty-five feet (25') of the
first responder with the intent to:
(1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform the first
responder's official duties;
(2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or
(3) Harass the first responder.
(c) A person who violates this section commits a Class B misdemeanor.

- 2 - 001228

SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.