On Tuesday March 29th, a number of both good and bad bills will be up in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee. Because the legislative session is drawing to a close, here are many bills on the agenda. The committee will meet twice - at 9am and at 1:30pm in room 31 at the Legislative Plaza. Please consider coming, but if you can’t make it - and even if you can - please take a look at the bills below and contact committee members to urge them to vote for the good bills and against the bad. Committee member contact information is below the list of bills.

OPPOSE

HB040 by Van Huss
As introduced, enacts that “Open Carry Firearms Freedom Act.”

HB1407 by Weaver
As introduced, prohibits the expenditure of state or local funds or employees to implement, regulate, or enforce any federal law or executive order regulating the ownership or possession of firearms or firearm ammunition regardless of whether the expenditure of funds or use of employees would violate a state law or the state constitution.

HB455 by Littleton
As introduced, prohibits denying a law enforcement officer entry to or removing a law enforcement officer from an event for which the officer holds a valid ticket or has paid an admission fee if denial or removal is based on the officer’s lawful carrying of a firearm; permits owner or operator of venue for an event to require law enforcement officer to inform the owner or operator that the officer will be present at the event and in possession of a firearm.

HB493 by Holt
As introduced, amends various firearms provisions, including changes to firearms on school property, open or concealed carrying of a firearm, handgun carry permits, and posted firearms prohibitions.

HB884 by Matheny
As introduced, permits a valid handgun carry permit holder to carry a firearm at any time and in all places in Tennessee unless the permit holder has been drinking alcohol, is in a judicial proceeding, or is on school grounds and does not tell the principal.

HB1006 by Holt
As introduced, confers criminal and civil immunity upon a person who uses or threatens force in self-defense, defense of another, or defense from a person committing criminal offense, unless the person is a law enforcement officer during discharge of the officer’s duties and the person knows the person against whom force is used is a law enforcement officer.

HB1176 by Faison
As introduced, reduces the penalty for the offense of carrying a handgun without a permit and with the intent to go armed to a Class C misdemeanor with a $25 fine for a first offense or $50 for a second or subsequent offense and requires a citation to be issued in lieu of arrest.

SUPPORT

HB047 by Clemmons
As introduced, requires mandatory minimum sentences for certain criminal convictions involving semi-automatic firearms.

HB1319 by Stewart
As introduced, requires, subject to certain exemptions, a sale or transfer of a firearm to be done through a federally licensed gun dealer; creates a Class B misdemeanor offense for sales or transfers that are not conducted through a gun dealer.

HB1254 by Towns
As introduced, requires law enforcement agencies and departments to compile certain information on crimes involving firearms and submit the information annually to the Tennessee bureau of investigation, which then compiles a report of the information for distribution to the members of the general assembly.

HB1395 by Towns
As introduced, requires the owner or lawful possessor of a lost or stolen firearm to report the loss within 48 hours of knowing when it was missing or when the person should have known it was missing to the applicable law enforcement agency or be subject to a $250 civil penalty.

HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS

CHAIR

Rep. Mike Carter
Phone: (615) 741-3025
[email protected]

SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS

Rep. Bill Beck
Phone: (615) 741-3229
[email protected]

Rep. Glen Casada
Phone: (615) 741-4389
[email protected]

Rep. Martin Daniel
Phone: (615) 741-2287
[email protected]

Rep. Andrew Farmer
Phone: (615) 741-4419
[email protected]

Rep. G.A. Hardaway
Phone: (615) 741-5625
[email protected]

Rep. Debra Moody
Phone: (615) 741-3774
[email protected]