Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, deletes the offense of carrying a firearm or a club with the intent to go armed, prohibits the carrying of a firearm or weapon inside of a K-12 public or private school and on a school bus if the person's intent is to go armed and the school and the bus are posted in a certain manner; deletes the offense of carrying a firearm on the property of a university, college campus, and other public or private non-K-12 educational institutions or property; rewrites the offense of possessing a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled substance analogue; rewrites the offense of carrying weapons during judicial proceedings; makes various other changes related to firearms. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Joey Hensley

Tennessee bill expands firearm carry rights by removing college campus prohibitions and "intent to go armed" offense while narrowing school restrictions to posted properties.

Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2027

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Legislative bill overview

SB 2478 significantly loosens Tennessee's firearm regulations by removing restrictions on carrying firearms on college campuses and other higher education properties, eliminating the "intent to go armed" offense for general carry, and narrowing restrictions on school settings to require specific posted notices. The bill also modifies laws governing firearm possession while intoxicated and weapon carrying during court proceedings.

Why is this important

These changes substantially expand where firearms can be legally carried in Tennessee, particularly on university campuses where previous law prohibited them entirely. This represents a major shift in how the state regulates firearms in educational settings and public spaces, with implications for campus safety policies, institutional liability, and public security protocols.

Potential points of contention

Campus safety trade-offs: Removing blanket prohibitions on college campuses eliminates a safety measure while potentially increasing institutional security burdens and liability concerns

School safety requirements: Making school firearm restrictions dependent on specific posted notices creates ambiguity about enforcement and leaves gaps if signage is missing or unclear

Intoxication standards: Rewriting DUI-firearm offenses could weaken protections against impaired individuals carrying weapons, depending on how the new language defines culpability

Broad scope of changes: The bill touches nine Tennessee Code titles with interconnected amendments, creating complexity in how provisions interact and potential unintended consequences