House Expands Second Amendment Rights For Tennesseans

House Republican lawmakers moved forward this week with several pieces of legislation aimed at expanding the Second Amendment rights of Tennesseans, with all four measures being backed by the National Rifle Association.

The first measure, House Bill 1404, clarifies a bill passed last year which allows individuals to carry their firearms safely secured in the trunk of their vehicle when on private property without fear of criminal penalty. This tweak to last year’s law also makes it legal for such person to transfer a gun, once they are on private property, from the interior of their vehicle to their trunk, again without criminal prosecution.

Likewise, House Bill 1405 also clarifies the 2013 ‘guns in trunks’ legislation. Originally, the bill said anyone who is in their “private vehicle” is exempt from prosecution if they carry their gun, safely stored in their trunk, on to private property. This bill defines “private vehicle” to include any motor vehicle in which that individual lawfully possesses, ensuring protection under the law if, for example, the individual happens to be driving their spouse’s vehicle that day.

House Bill 1483 removes all prohibitions passed by the General Assembly prior to 1986 with regard to the possession, transportation, or storage of firearms and firearms ammunition by handgun carry permit holders, repealing many outdated and antiquated measures on the law books which restricted gun rights from years past.

And, finally, House Bill 1952 makes it illegal for drones to interfere with private citizens who are legally hunting or fishing in the state.

As Tennessee’s Constitution guarantees, “the citizens of this State have a right to keep and bear arms”—a right that House Republicans have actively sought to protect and expand over the last several years.