Official Summary Text
This bill creates within the department of safety the office of homeland security. The commissioner of safety must appoint the head of the office. The office must employ such commissioned agents and noncommissioned personnel as may be necessary to carry
out the operations of the office. Agents must be commissioned in accordance with present law that authorizes the office to apply to the commissioner to commission such number of its officers who directly support state, federal, and local law enforcement
a
ctivities involved in countering or responding to acts of terrorism, as the office must designate, to act as peace officers for the office.
This bill authorizes the office to do all of the following:
Direct the state's homeland security activities.
Design, develop, and implement a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to secure this state from terrorist threats and attacks.
Work with related agencies of the federal government, agencies of local governments, agencies of other state governments, and related private sector entities on matters of homeland security.
At the request of the chief law enforcement officer of a state or local law enforcement agency, provide technical and investigative support.
Conduct overt and covert investigations and provide technical and investigative support into (i) threats or acts of terrorism or suspected terrorism; (ii) threats to, or attacks on, schools in accordance each local education agency's (LEA) policy establishing a threat assessment team; (iii) threats to, or attacks on, critical infrastructure, public safety, and public officials; (iv) protection of public officials, locations, and events; and (v) cyber-attacks and intrusions, cyber misinformation campaigns, and cyber disinformation campaigns.
Administer funds as may be authorized by the general assembly.
Coordinate policy related to school security according to the commissioner's state-level safety team and review school security plans.
Upon request of the secretary of state's office, assist with securing the state's election infrastructure.
Cooperate and exchange information with other state agencies, other law enforcement agencies, and federal, state, and local law enforcement stakeholders within and outside of this state, through a statewide information and intelligence center to obtain information to prevent, detect, and control crime and apprehend criminals.
Additionally, this bill does not prohibit homeland security agents from investigating crimes not specifically referred to in this bill. Likewise, other law enforcement agencies are not prohibited from investigating crimes referred to in this bill.
ACTING AS PEACE OFFICERS FOR THE OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Present law authorizes the office of homeland security to apply to the commissioner in order to commission certain officers who directly support state, federal, and local law enforcement activities involved in countering or responding to acts of terroris
m, as the office must designate, to act as peace officers for the office of homeland security. The commissioner, upon such application, may appoint such person as the office of homeland security designates, or as many people as the governor deems proper
to
be such peace officers, and give commissions to those appointed.
This bill removes the above provisions, and, instead, authorizes the commissioner of safety to commission such number of homeland security officers who directly support state, federal, and local law enforcement activities involved in countering or respon
ding to acts of terrorism, as authorized by this bill, to act as peace officers for the office of homeland security.
Present law provides that each homeland security officer has the powers of a peace officer, including that the officer may carry weapons for the reasonable purposes of their offices and while in the performance of their assigned duties. This bill adds t
hat an officer may also carry weapons off-duty pursuant to present law, which authorizes any law enforcement officer to carry firearms at all times and in all places within the state, on-duty or off-duty.
When the office of homeland security no longer requires the services of the peace officer so appointed, present law requires the office to file a notice to that effect with the commissioner's office and the powers of such peace officer cease and terminat
e. This bill removes this provision.
ON MARCH 19, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1880, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:
Authorizes the office of homeland security to conduct investigations and provide technical and investigative support only where the office has reasonable grounds to believe a violation of the laws of this state has occurred, is occurring, or is imminent and the investigation relates to specific, listed threats.
Removes threats to, or attacks on, public safety as an authorized threat for investigations by the office of homeland security.
Clarifies that cybercrimes and cyber-enabled offenses that the office of homeland security may investigate include (i) unauthorized access to, intrusion into, or interference with the operation of a computer, computer system, computer network, or data; (ii) damage to, disruption of, of denial of service affecting critical infrastructure or essential government services; (iii) cyber-enabled fraud, extortion, ransomware, or theft; and (iv) online threats or coordinated cyber activity. However, a cyber misinformation campaign is not grounds for investigation by the office of homeland security unless there is a reasonable suspicion that the conduct is undertaken in furtherance of, or constitutes, a violation of the criminal laws of this state.
ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1800 FOR HOUSE BILL 1639, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1800, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:
Clarifies that the office of homeland security is authorized to assist related agencies of the federal government
agencies of local governments, agencies of other state governments, and related private sector entities on matters of homeland security.
Clarifies that the office may conduct investigations and provide technical and investigative support when the office has reasonable suspicion
,
instead of reasonable grounds
,
to believe a violation of the laws of this state has occurred, is occurring, or is imminent, and the investigation
relates to the threats, protection, and cybercrimes described in the bill summary.
Provides that homeland security agents are not prohibited from investigating crimes not specifically referred to
in this bill
if
such crimes
are discovered in furtherance of an investigation of a crime the agent is authorized to investigate.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 1639
By Lamberth
SENATE BILL 1880
By Johnson
SB1880
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 29; Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 20 and
Section 38-3-114, relative to the office of
homeland security.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 20, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
4-3-2020. Office of homeland security.
(a) There is created within the department of safety the office of homeland
security.
(b) The commissioner shall appoint the head of the office.
(c) The office shall employ such commissioned agents and noncommissioned
personnel as may be necessary to carry out the operations of the office. Agents must be
commissioned under § 38-3-114.
(d) The office may:
(1) Direct the state's homeland security activities, including, but not
limited to, the planning, coordination, and implementation of all homeland
security prevention, protection, and response operations;
(2) Design, develop, and implement a comprehensive, coordinated
strategy to secure this state from terrorist threats and attacks;
(3) Work with related agencies of the federal government, agencies of
local governments, agencies of other state governments, and related private
sector entities on matters of homeland security;
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(4) At the request of the chief law enforcement officer of a state or local
law enforcement agency, provide technical and investigative support;
(5) Conduct overt and covert investigations and provide technical and
investigative support into:
(A) Threats or acts of terrorism or suspected terrorism;
(B) Threats to, or attacks on, schools in accordance with § 49-6-
2701;
(C) Threats to, or attacks on, critical infrastructure;
(D) Threats to, or attacks on, public safety;
(E) Threats to, or attacks on, public officials;
(F) Protection of public officials, locations, and events; and
(G) Cyber-attacks and intrusions, cyber misinformation
campaigns, and cyber disinformation campaigns;
(6) Administer any funds as may be authorized by the general assembly;
(7) Coordinate policy related to school security according to § 49-6-802
and review school security plans as authorized in § 49-6-4302;
(8) Upon request of the secretary of state's office, assist with securing
the state's election infrastructure; and
(9) Cooperate and exchange information with other state agencies, other
law enforcement agencies, and federal, state, and local law enforcement
stakeholders within and outside of this state, through a statewide information and
intelligence center to obtain information to prevent, detect, and control crime and
apprehend criminals.
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(e) Homeland security agents are not prohibited from investigating crimes not
specifically referred to in this section. Likewise, other law enforcement agencies are not
prohibited from investigating crimes referred to in this section.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-3-114, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
(a) The commissioner of safety may commission such number of homeland
security officers who directly support state, federal, and local law enforcement activities
involved in countering or responding to acts of terrorism, as authorized in § 4-3-2020, to
act as peace officers for the office of homeland security.
(b) Each homeland security officer, throughout every county in this state, has the
powers of a peace officer, including the power to make arrests for public offenses
anywhere in this state. Further, such officers may serve process in criminal
prosecutions for such offenses, and may carry weapons for the reasonable purposes of
their offices and while in the performance of their assigned duties, and carry off-duty as
authorized by § 39-17-1350.
(c) The keepers of jails in any county or municipality where a violation occurs, for
which any such arrest is made by a homeland security officer, shall receive all persons
arrested by such officer to be dealt with according to law, and persons so arrested must
be received by keepers of jails on the same basis and have the same status as
prisoners arrested by any other law enforcement officer.
(d) Every homeland security officer shall, when on duty, have in the officer's
possession a badge and identification card identifying the officer as a homeland security
officer, and the officer shall exhibit the badge and identification card on demand and
before making an arrest within a reasonable time.
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(e) Homeland security officers appointed under this section must complete
appropriate initial training and recurrent law enforcement training substantially equivalent
to the requirements of the Tennessee peace officers standards and training commission.
SECTION 3. The heading in this act is for reference purposes only and does not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the heading in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.