NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Senate passed a bill that would let some educators bring guns to school, after the House held the bill during the previous legislative session.
SB 1325, introduced by Sen. Paul Bailey (R - Sparta), allows faculty and staff of schools to have concealed handguns on the school grounds they are assigned to. Educators would need to have a handgun carry permit and have written permission from their director of schools, as well as from the school's principal.
Educators who want to have guns on school grounds would also need to be fingerprinted, and be certified by mental healthcare workers to not have any diagnosable mental health issues. They would also need to complete 40 hours of basic training in school policing. People with prior law enforcement experience, or who are law enforcement officers with the same training, would also be able to have guns on school grounds.
A small amendment adopted on Tuesday specified that the training must include hands-on instruction with the authorizing law enforcement agency, and the person who wants to bring a gun on school property would need to pay for it.
The bill also says district leaders would need to alert law enforcement agencies that a person was authorized to carry guns on school grounds. The bill specifically said communication between directors of schools, principals and law enforcement about the person would be considered confidential, as well as the person's written authorization. The bill said the names and contact information of people allowed to carry guns in school would also be confidential.
The bill restricts people from openly carrying guns, and would not let guns be brought into stadiums, gymnasiums and auditoriums during school events. Guns also would not be allowed into meetings on tenure issues, disciplinary matters, or areas where medical and mental health services are provided.
It would also protect schools and law enforcement agencies from lawsuits related to educators' use of guns if they were legally allowed to bring them to schools. Supporters of the bill said it was meant to guarantee a quick response during active shooter situations, especially in counties that have small law enforcement agencies.
It passed the Tennessee Senate on Tuesday to shouts from the audience condemning the decision. Soon after the vote, chants of "vote them out" could be heard on the Senate floor.
The House version was previously held on April 17, 2023, but now may be reintroduced for a full vote. It was previously held following protests stemming from inaction by lawmakers to address gun violence following the deadly Covenant School Shooting.
Soon after the shooting, that year's Vanderbilt Poll was released and revealed that guns were the third-most important issue according to polled voters — behind only education and the state's economy.
The poll found that 82% of respondents support strengthening background checks for gun purchases, such as what Governor Bill Lee signed following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. They also said that a majority of respondents supported a "red flag" law that would temporarily restrict gun access to people who are a risk of harming themselves or others.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Bailey said he worked with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police to make the bill, as well as other organizations.
During the same meeting, a person wearing a Moms Demand Action shirt provided written testimony against the bill.
"This bill will add to the number of guns in school settings, something the majority of Tennessee parents simply do not want. This bill keeps parents in the dark, they will not know which teachers are carrying guns because their identity would be confidential. This bill opposes parental choice, something this body advocates for," she said. "The National Association of School Resource Officers strongly opposes arming teachers, due to the risk it would pose to law enforcement, to students, and to the school community."
She also said she was worried about the bill putting teachers in the role of law enforcement, without proper training. She also said it would increase the likelihood of students getting ahold of misplaced guns in schools.
Tennessee's gun laws are ranked among some of the least restrictive in the U.S. and has a gun violence death rate of 20.9 per 100,000 people, compared to a national average of 14.4 gun violence deaths per 100,000 people, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.