Summary of SB 2465 (Session 114, Tennessee)
Proposed by: Senate with House companion HB 2253
Status: As amended and transmitted (Fiscal Notes provided)
Introduced: 2026; Schedule/Actions indicate committee referrals and movement through 2026
Official title (as amended): Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a juvenile adjudicated delinquent for conduct that, if committed by an adult, would constitute the offense of threatening to commit an act of mass violence from purchasing or possessing a firearm until the juvenile reaches 25; prohibits a person appropriately licensed by the federal government from selling a firearm to a person who is ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to any court order or under any law of this state; increases penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor offenses. - Amends TCA Title 37 and Title 39.
Similar bill text (as amended): The amendment substitutes specific language to define and include a “threat of mass violence” in several code sections and aligns related provisions.
Key provisions (as amended)
1) Firearms and juvenile adjudications (Mass violence threat)
- Creates a new prohibition: a juvenile adjudicated delinquent for conduct that would constitute a “threat of mass violence” (as defined in the statutes) cannot purchase or possess a firearm until age 25.
- The term “threat of mass violence” references definitions in:
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-517
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-813
- Additional consequence: if a person under age 25 possesses a firearm and was adjudicated delinquent for such a threat, that possession would be a Class A misdemeanor.
2) Prohibited firearm sales by federally licensed dealers
- A firearm dealer licensed by the federal government is prohibited from selling a firearm to a person who:
- Was adjudicated delinquent for a threat of mass violence, or
- Is ineligible to possess a firearm under any court order or Tennessee law.
3) Increased penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor
- The bill enhances penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (moving up classes/levels in certain possession-based scenarios).
- Specific class increases include:
- Sexual exploitation of a minor: D felony to C felony (when possession of 50 or fewer materials)
- Aggravated sexual exploitation: C felony to B felony (for certain possession thresholds)
- Especially aggravated sexual exploitation: B felony to A felony (for certain possession thresholds)
- These changes apply across multiple possession thresholds (e.g., 25, 50, 100 materials) as described in the fiscal notes.
4) Effective date
- The act takes effect July 1, 2026, to coincide with general compliance timelines (public welfare requiring it).
Fiscal and procedural notes (as amended)
Public Fiscal Impact:
- State: Incarceration costs increase; estimated net change over three years starting FY26-27: cumulative increases tied to additional admissions due to the new offenses.
- Local government: Small recurring costs estimated (approx. $1,000 annually beginning FY26-27) for enforcement/administration related to the new provisions.
Estimated impact details from fiscal notes:
- Under the non-school mass-violence threats, an estimated 16.5 juveniles (25% of 66, the typical school-related threat adjudications) could be affected, with about 1.65 expected to be convicted of the Class A misdemeanor (unlawful possession/carrying).
- Assumes ~15 days per local jail stay for affected individuals; local cost increment around $1,005 in FY26-27 (and small recurring amounts thereafter).
- State incarceration costs for expanded sexual exploitation penalties are projected to show moderate increases in some years (e.g., $235,500 total over three years in one scenario).
Compliance and enforcement:
- Department of Safety and Homeland Security would use existing processes to suspend/revoke handgun carry permits and verify enhanced permit information.
Who is affected
- Juveniles under 25 adjudicated delinquent for conduct that constitutes a threat of mass violence (as defined) would face firearm purchase/possession prohibitions.
- Federal-licensed firearm dealers would be prohibited from selling to individuals adjudicated delinquent for such threats or otherwise ineligible to possess under state or federal law.
- Individuals convicted under expanded penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor and related offenses would face higher felony classifications, longer sentences, and associated incarceration costs.
Timeline and process
- Effective July 1, 2026.
- The bill has undergone committee considerations and amendments, with actions indicating movement through Senate Judiciary and Senate Finance, Ways, and Means committees in 2026.
Notes for readers
- The net fiscal impact is driven largely by how many juveniles are adjudicated for non-school related threats of mass violence and subsequently convicted under the new Class A misdemeanor. Based on the notes, school-related threats remain more common; non-school counts are estimated to grow modestly under the proposal.
- The bill aligns several statutes to define “threat of mass violence” uniformly across sections (37-1-190(a)(2)(G), 39-17-1307(j)(1)(G), 39-17-1351(c)(19)(G), 39-17-1352(a)(11)(G)).
- Public safety and prosecutorial resources are anticipated to handle the anticipated increase modestly, with most fiscal impact attributed to incarceration costs over time.
