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HB0814 • 2026

Firearms and Ammunition

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to the carrying of firearms.

Firearms
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Miller, Lamar
Last action
2025-02-10
Official status
Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information about the fiscal impact or costs associated with implementing this resolution.

Firearms and Ammunition Act

This bill allows Tennessee counties to pass a resolution that stops people from carrying handguns without permits within their county.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that counties can decide if they want to stop handgun carry without permits by passing a special resolution.
  • Requires counties that pass this resolution to put up clear signs telling everyone about it in public places.
  • Adds a new rule saying people who break the handgun carrying rules after a county passes this resolution will be punished.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who carry handguns without permits in Tennessee counties that pass the special resolution.
  • County legislative bodies that can choose to pass or not pass the resolution.

Terms To Know

Handgun
A type of firearm with one hand and usually has a short barrel.
Resolution
An official decision made by a group like the county legislative body.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when or how counties will decide to pass this resolution.
  • It is unclear which specific counties might choose to implement these changes and when.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to SB0043

Plain English: The amendment changes when a certain law about carrying firearms will start to be in effect.

  • Changes the effective date of the bill from the day it is signed into law to July 1, 2026.
  • The original content of SECTION 3 that was deleted is not provided, so we cannot explain what exactly was removed and replaced.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/3/2026

  3. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 1/27/2026

  4. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  7. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  8. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  9. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  10. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  11. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  12. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  13. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  14. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  15. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  16. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  17. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  18. 2025-01-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 43
By Lamar

HOUSE BILL 814
By Miller

HB0814
000072
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to the carrying of
firearms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1307, is amended by deleting
subsection (g) and substituting:
(g)
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (g)(2), it is an exception to the
application of subsection (a) that a person is carrying, whether openly or
concealed, a handgun and:
(A)
(i) The person is at least twenty-one (21) years of age; or
(ii) The person is at least eighteen (18) years of age and:
(a) Is an honorably discharged or retired veteran of
the United States armed forces;
(b) Is an honorably discharged member of the
army national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve,
the marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air
force reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has
successfully completed a basic training program; or
(c) Is a member of the United States armed forces
on active duty status or is a current member of the army
national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve, the

- 2 - 000072

marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air force
reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has successfully
completed a basic training program;
(B) The person lawfully possesses the handgun; and
(C) The person is in a place where the person is lawfully present.
(2) A county legislative body may elect not to permit persons within the
county to lawfully carry a handgun pursuant to the exception set out in
subdivision (g)(1) by passage of a resolution. Upon passage, the resolution has
the effect of eliminating the exception set out in subdivision (g)(1) to the criminal
offense of unlawful carrying, as prohibited by subsection (a), within the
boundaries of the county. If the county legislative body passes such a resolution,
then the county must provide notice to persons present within the county by
posting notice of the resolution in conspicuous public locations throughout the
county. Failure to adequately comply with the notice requirement imposed by
this subdivision (g)(2) does not affect the application of the exception.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1314(b), is amended by
adding the following new subdivision:
(5) The unlawful carrying of a firearm, as provided in § 39-17-1307(g)(2).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.