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HB0579 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to public safety.

Crime Firearms
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Doggett, Rose
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 211
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on penalties for restricted firearm ammunition or permit revocation procedures, which were removed from the summary.

Changes to Tennessee's Laws on Weapons and Violence

This law updates Tennessee's definition of 'crime of violence' to include robbery.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds robbery to the list of crimes considered a 'crime of violence'.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit crimes involving firearms or restricted ammunition
  • The Tennessee Department of Safety

Terms To Know

Crime of violence
A serious criminal offense that involves the use or threat of physical force.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if someone is arrested but not convicted.
  • It's unclear how the changes will affect current permit holders who have been arrested for a violent crime.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 211

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 211

  4. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 88, Nays 1, PNV 1

  12. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/3/2025

  14. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  16. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/31/2025

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/26/2025

  21. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025

  22. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/19/2025

  23. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  24. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025

  25. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  26. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  28. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  29. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/3/2025

  30. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  31. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/25

  32. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  33. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  34. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/25/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  41. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

RESTRICTIONS ON FIREARM AMMUNITION

Present law provides that i
t is an offense for a person to possess, use
,
or attempt to use restricted firearm ammunition while committing or attempting to commit a crime of violence.

A violation by possession of restricted firearm ammunition is a Class E felony
, while a
violation by use or attempted use of restricted firearm
ammunition is a Class D felony.

UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON

Present law provides that

a
person commits an offense who unlawfully possesses a firearm and
h
as been convicted of a felony crime of violence
or
an attempt to commit a felony crime of viole
nce
.

HANDGUN CARRY PERMIT

Present law prohibits the
department
of safety from
deny
ing
a permit application if
t
he applicant, who was rendered infamous or deprived of the rights of citizenship by judgment of any state or federal court, has had the applic
ant's full rights of citizenship duly restored, or other federal or state law
. H
owever, this
provision does
not apply to a person who has been convicted of a felony crime of violence
or
an attempt to commit a felony crime of violence
. Additionally, th
e d
epartment
must
suspend or revoke a handgun permit upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence that the permit holder
h
as been arrested for a felony crime of violence
or
an attempt to commit a felony crime of violence
.

"CRIME OF VIOLENCE" DE
FINED

Present law provides that
"c
rime of violence
"

relative to weapons
includes any degree of murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated rape, rape, rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, especially aggravated robbery, a
ggravated robbery, burglary, aggravated burglary, especially aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, carjacking, trafficking for commercial sex act, especially aggravated sexual exploit
a
tion, felony child abuse, and aggravated child abuse
.

This bill adds robbery to the list.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 456
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 579
By Doggett

HB0579
000398
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to public safety.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1301(3), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(3) "Crime of violence" includes any degree of murder, voluntary manslaughter,
aggravated rape, rape, rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual
battery, robbery, aggravated robbery, especially aggravated robbery, burglary,
aggravated burglary, especially aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping,
aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, carjacking, trafficking for
commercial sex act, especially aggravated sexual exploitation, felony child abuse, and
aggravated child abuse;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.