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HB0947 • 2026

Firearms and Ammunition

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to firearms.

Firearms Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
Brooks, Akbari
Last action
2026-04-01
Official status
Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or exceptions.

Akilah's Law: Firearm Restrictions for Mental Health Patients

This law makes it illegal to sell firearms to individuals who have been treated at a mental health facility within the last five years, unless treatment was solely for alcohol abuse without other issues.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates 'Akilah's Law' which prohibits selling firearms to individuals who have been admitted to a mental institution within the past five years, except when treatment was only for alcohol abuse and no other conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have been treated at mental health facilities within the last five years.
  • Individuals selling firearms to others.

Terms To Know

Mental institution
Any hospital, institution, clinic, evaluation facility, or part thereof used primarily for the care of persons with mental illness.
Patient in a mental institution
A person who was admitted to a mental health facility either voluntarily or involuntarily, except when treatment was solely for alcohol abuse without other substance abuse disorders or mental illnesses.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if someone sells a firearm before knowing the buyer's history.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and who will check buyers' histories.
  • The bill text does not provide details on exceptions or exemptions.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB1191

Plain English: The amendment changes the start date when certain parts of the bill about firearms would begin to be enforced.

  • Changes the effective date from an unspecified date to July 1, 2026.
  • The specific details and content of Senate Bill No. 1191 or House Bill No. 947 are not provided in this amendment text.
  • It is unclear what the original effective date was before this change.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  7. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  8. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  9. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  10. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  12. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  13. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  14. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/18/2026

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/11/2026

  20. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/4/2026

  21. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  22. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  23. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  24. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  33. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  37. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  38. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  39. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  40. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  41. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  42. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  43. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  44. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  45. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  46. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  47. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  48. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill enacts "Akilah's Law," which pr
ovides that it is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a sentence of imprisonment not greater than 11 months, 29 days, or a fine not to exceed $2,500, or both, to sell, offer to sell, deliver, or transfer a firearm to a person
knowing that the person has
,
within the previous five
years, been
admitted, either voluntarily or involuntarily, to a mental institution unless the treatment was voluntary and solely for an alcohol abuse disorder and no other secondary substance abuse disorder or mental illness.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1191
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 947
By Brooks

HB0947
002367
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33
and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to
firearms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as "Akilah's Law."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1316(q), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(6)
(A) It is an offense to sell, offer to sell, deliver, or transfer a firearm to a
person knowing that the person has been a patient in a mental institution at any
time within the previous five (5) years.
(B) As used in this subdivision (q)(6):
(i) "Mental institution" means any hospital, institution, clinic,
evaluation facility, mental health center, or part thereof, that is used
primarily for the care of persons with mental illness; and
(ii) "Patient in a mental institution" means a person who was
admitted, either voluntarily or involuntarily, to a mental institution unless
the treatment was voluntary and solely for an alcohol abuse disorder and
no other secondary substance abuse disorder or mental illness.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.