A bill proposal seeking to clarify Tennessee’s “intent to go armed” provision is dead this session.
The House Judiciary Committee did not take any action on House Bill (HB) 2064 on Tuesday, which attempted to rewrite Tennessee gun laws.
HB 2064 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 2467, got deferred to next year’s session.
The bill proposal, introduced by State Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County), would have removed the “intent to go armed” phrase from state law, along with the criminal penalties and exceptions associated with it. This phrase makes it a crime in Tennessee for someone to carry a weapon with the specific intent to commit a harmful act.
The bill proposal would have allowed people to carry weapons in parks, playgrounds, civic centers, and government recreational properties.
In August, the Gibson County Chancery Court overturned state laws that prevent people from carrying firearms in parks and the state’s “intent to go armed” law. The State of Tennessee appealed the lower court’s ruling.
On top of this, the bill proposal would have eliminated Tennessee’s firearm restrictions on people who have been convicted of driving under the influence.
Furthermore, HB 2064 would have limited the state’s firearm restrictions for people convicted of domestic violence.
Firearm prohibition would have only applied to people who had been convicted of domestic violence within the last five years. The bill proposal would have allowed a person convicted of domestic violence to petition for their firearms rights to be restored.
HB 2064 also would have loosened gun restrictions for people who had been convicted of stalking. The state’s gun restrictions would have applied only to people who had been convicted of stalking within the last five years.
Tennessee currently prevents firearms from being sold, gifted, or loaned to minors, but HB 2064 would have eliminated this law entirely.
Under the bill proposal, juveniles would have been allowed to possess firearms for outdoor sport activities, at home, protecting livestock, or emancipated.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
