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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB2017 • 2026

Game and Fish Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1314; Section 70-1-206 and Section 70-4-107, relative to the authority of the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission to proscribe the manner and means of taking wildlife.

Education Firearms
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Cochran, Lowe
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 673
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about local government regulation of firearm discharge near schools or hunter permissions beyond what is stated in the bill summary and text.

Clarifying Wildlife Hunting Regulations

This legislation clarifies that local governments cannot regulate how wildlife is hunted or firearms are discharged while hunting within their borders, leaving these regulations to the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the ability of cities, counties, towns, municipalities, and metropolitan governments to set rules on how wildlife can be hunted within their borders.
  • Requires that all regulations about taking wildlife must follow the rules made by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local governments in Tennessee
  • Hunters in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission
The state agency responsible for making rules about hunting wildlife.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a local government tries to regulate hunting methods beyond firearm discharge near schools.
  • It does not address other aspects of wildlife management or conservation outside of hunting regulations.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2017

Plain English: This amendment prevents local governments from regulating how wildlife can be hunted or taken, including rules about using firearms while hunting, leaving that authority to the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.

  • Local governments cannot make rules about the methods of taking wildlife, such as using firearms during lawful hunting activities.
  • The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission has exclusive authority to set these regulations through its proclamations.
  • The amendment does not limit local governments from enforcing general criminal laws that are unrelated to the regulation of hunting.
Amendment 2-0 to HB2017

Plain English: This amendment removes local government authority to regulate how wildlife can be hunted or caught, including firearm use during lawful hunting.

  • Removes the ability of cities, counties, towns, municipalities, and metropolitan governments to set rules about how wildlife is hunted or caught within their jurisdictions.
  • Specifies that only the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission has the authority to regulate the manner and means of taking wildlife through its rules and proclamations.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how existing local regulations will be handled or phased out.
Amendment 3-0 to HB2017

Plain English: This amendment stops cities, counties, towns, and other local governments from making rules about how wildlife can be hunted or caught, except for setting limits near school zones.

  • Local governments cannot make their own rules on the methods of hunting or catching wildlife.
  • Local governments are allowed to set restrictions on firing guns within 500 feet of schools while hunting.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if there is a conflict with existing local laws about hunting and fishing.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2028

Plain English: This amendment prevents local governments from regulating how wildlife can be hunted or taken, including rules about using firearms while hunting, leaving that authority to the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.

  • Local governments cannot make rules about the methods of taking wildlife, such as using firearms during lawful hunting activities.
  • The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission has exclusive authority to set these regulations through its proclamations and rules.
  • The amendment does not limit local governments from enforcing general criminal laws that are unrelated to the regulation of hunting.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 673

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/07/2026

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 673

  4. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 26, Nays 5 (Amendment 3 - HA0712)

  10. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 3/26/2026

  11. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 69, Nays 17, PNV 3

  14. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 3 - HA0712)

  15. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA0681)

  16. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0624)

  17. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

  21. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on cal. for 3/19/2026

  22. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  25. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  27. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 24, Nays 7

  28. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0527)

  29. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026

  30. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  31. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026

  32. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/12/2026

  34. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/10/2026

  35. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee to 3/10/2026

  36. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026

  37. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/3/2026

  38. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  39. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  40. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 2/25/2026

  41. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee to 3/3/2026

  42. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 2/17/2026

  43. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  44. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  45. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  46. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  47. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  48. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  49. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  50. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  51. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  52. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 12, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2028, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes technical corrections to the bill and adds a preamble.

ON MARCH 19, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2028 FOR HOUSE BILL 2017, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #3, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2028, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #3 s
pecifies that this bill's prohibition against a local government r
egulat
ing
the manner and means of taking wildlife

while lawfully hunting

does not prohibit a county or municipality from regulating the discharge of a firearm by a person lawfully hunting within
500 fee
t of school property.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2028
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 2017
By Cochran
HB2017
011715
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section
39-17-1314; Section 70-1-206 and Section 70-4-
107, relative to the authority of the Tennessee fish
and wildlife commission to proscribe the manner
and means of taking wildlife.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1314, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
( ) Notwithstanding subdivision (b)(2) or another law to the contrary, a city,
county, town, municipality, or metropolitan government shall not regulate the manner
and means of taking wildlife, including the discharge of a firearm while lawfully hunting.
Such manner and means of taking wildlife is regulated pursuant to rules promulgated
and proclamations issued by the fish and wildlife commission under its delegated
authority in title 70.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-107(c), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Upon proclamation by the commission, any person lawfully hunting under this
act is expressly authorized to utilize the commission's authorized manner or means of
taking wildlife, which may include the discharge of a firearm within the area so
designated by the commission during the hunting season opened by the commission as
long as the manner and means are consistent with other provisions of this title.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.