Teachers in Tennessee would be able to carry concealed guns on school campuses, as long as they undergo additional training in school policing, under a bill passed Tuesday by the state’s General Assembly.
A previous law allowed school or district staff with current or previous law enforcement experience to carry guns on K-12 campuses. But this is the first move in the state to arm non-law enforcement school staff. The bill limits the type of firearm to a concealed handgun.
The legislation, which is headed to Gov. Bill Lee's desk, passed the state House in a 68-28 vote.
It is unclear whether Gov. Bill Lee will sign the legislation.
Following the March 2023 mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, which killed three students and three staff members, Lee pushed for legislative action to address school gun violence and increase school safety. Lee also signed an executive order strengthening firearm background checks shortly after the tragedy.
His firearm control measures earned ire from Republicans in the state, who said “any red flag law is a non-starter.”
The bill that passed this week was put on pause for nearly a year following the shooting, after Lee pushed for gun control action and called a special legislative session to address public safety. Lee has previously expressed support for arming teachers, but said his signature would depend on the details according to local reporting.
SB 1325, also known by companion bill HB 1202, would require participating teachers to submit a psychological evaluation and undergo at least 40 hours of certification with local law enforcement.
"This bill seeks to make the bar so high, but to allow locals to have the ability to do that, it would create a deterrent across our state," said bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Williams during a hearing Tuesday prior to the vote.
Williams said he hopes the legislation will act as a deterrent for school shooters. He also said that, before teachers are allowed to carry firearms under the bill, a memorandum of understanding would be required with local law enforcement, their district superintendent and their school principal.
"As a parent of public school kids — my kids are grown now — one of the biggest questions that people ask me all the time … have you done everything you could possibly do to make our schools safe across the state?" said bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Williams during a hearing Tuesday prior to the vote. "I believe that this is a method by which we can do that."
However, Democratic lawmakers strongly disagreed.
"This is a very dangerous piece of legislation that cannot be amended in any way that will make it good unless we defeat it," said Rep. John Clemmons. Clemmons proposed multiple amendments that failed, including one that would have held districts liable for any injury related to firearms granted by the bill, and another that would have required firearms to remain in locked storage unless justified in self-defense.
"This is nothing but a disaster and tragedy waiting to happen if we do not ensure personal responsibility," he said.
Gun safety and school violence prevention groups also resisted the bill.
“Introducing guns into schools isn’t only ineffective, but increases risk: How will guns be stored? How do you ensure kids won’t get access to them? How do you ensure a gun isn’t used in a tense situation at school?" asked Cathy Barnett, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action, in a statement Tuesday. "Let teachers teach. This is not the job they signed up for.”
The Tennessee Firearms Association said the legislation could increase the number of individuals authorized to carry a handgun or some firearm on school grounds.
"Will it do so at levels that create true deterrent effects? Perhaps not," the association wrote in a post on its website following the passage of the bill. "Will it save lives? Perhaps not."
However, the association continued, "it is likely better to provide for armed faculty and staff, even if only one more [person] participates, in the hope that doing so might save even one life or averts only one mass shooting."
