SB1588 • 2026

Capitol

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to the capitol hill protection zone.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Johnson, Lamberth
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 944
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Capitol

As of January 1, 2027, this bill establishes a capitol hill protection zone, which includes the following spaces:  State capitol.

What This Bill Does

As of January 1, 2027, this bill establishes a capitol hill protection zone, which includes the following spaces:  State capitol.
 Capitol annexes.
 War Memorial Building.
 Legislative Plaza.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HA0574

Amendment 1-0 to HB1504

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
1 to HB1504 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1588 House Bill No.
1504* HA0574 013566 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0932

Amendment 1-0 to SB1588

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
1 to SB1588 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1588 House Bill No.
1504* SA0932 013566 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 944
2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 01/01/2027
2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 944
2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-05-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 6
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0932)
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 2
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 76, Nays 13, PNV 0
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0574)
2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/26/2026
2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 2/26/2026
2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

As of January 1, 2027, this bill establishes a capitol hill protection zone, which includes the following spaces:



State capitol.


Capitol annexes.


War Memorial Building.


Legislative Plaza.


Cordell Hull Building.


Supreme Court Building.


State Library and Archives Building.


John Sevier State Office Building.


James K. Polk State Office Building.


William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower.


Grounds and roads immediately surrounding the buildings listed above.

This bill requires the commissioner of safety to ensure that the capitol hill protection zone is adequately staffed by law enforcement officers, who will have concurrent law enforcement authority with local law enforcement agencies, including the power t
o arrest, carry a firearm, and investigate crime.

While assigned law enforcement officers may include members of the Tennessee highway patrol, division of protective services, and state facility protection officers, this bill requires officers to be certified by the peace officers standards and training
commission (POST). Along with POST-certification, this bill requires additional training, specifically on laws regulating protesting on state property and best practices for dealing with large public gatherings and the protection of government officials.

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1504, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:



Includes the World War II Memorial Building that formerly housed the state library and archives, the Rachel Jackson Building, and the Andrew Jackson Building in the capitol hill protection zone.


Clarifies that the sidewalks along either side of the roads immediately surrounding the buildings in the capitol hill protection zone are also a part of the capitol hill protection zone.


Removes the requirement that the commissioner of safety ensure that the capitol hill protection zone is adequately staffed by law enforcement officers.


Removes from the assigned law enforcement officers members of the Tennessee highway patrol and officers from the division of protective services.


Authorizes the commissioner of safety to assign state facility protection officers to the capitol hill protection zone. However, assigned state facility protection officers must have completed training specifically on the laws regulating protesting on state property and best practices for dealing with large public gatherings and the protection of government officials.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 1504
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1588
By Johnson
SB1588
010249
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to the capitol
hill protection zone.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 8, is amended by adding the
following new part:
4-8-501.
There is established a capitol hill protection zone around the state capitol
grounds that includes the state capitol, capitol annexes, War Memorial Building,
Legislative Plaza, Cordell Hull Building, Supreme Court Building, State Library and
Archives Building, John Sevier State Office Building, James K. Polk State Office
Building, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, and the grounds and roads
immediately surrounding such buildings.
4-8-502.
(a) The commissioner of safety shall ensure that the capitol hill protection zone
is adequately staffed by law enforcement officers to ensure the safety of state
government officials, state government employees, and members of the public. Law
enforcement officers assigned by the commissioner of safety shall have concurrent law
enforcement authority with local law enforcement agencies, including the power to
arrest, carry a firearm, and investigate crime.
(b) The assigned law enforcement officers must be certified by the peace
officers standards and training commission (POST) and may include members of the

- 2 - 010249

Tennessee highway patrol, officers from the division of protective services, and state
facility protection officers.
(c) Any officer assigned to the capitol hill protection zone must have completed,
in addition to the training required for POST-certification, training specifically on the laws
regulating protesting on state property and best practices for dealing with large public
gatherings and the protection of government officials.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect January 1, 2027, the public welfare requiring it.