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HB 947

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts "Akilah's Law," which creates the offense of selling, offering to sell, delivering, or transferring a firearm to a person knowing the person has been a patient in a mental institution at any time within the previous five years. - Amends TCA Title 33 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Shaundelle Brooks

Tennessee bill criminalizes selling firearms to anyone hospitalized for mental health treatment in past five years, raising constitutional and implementation concerns.

Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 947

Legislative bill overview

HB 947 creates "Akilah's Law," which makes it illegal to sell, offer, deliver, or transfer firearms to anyone who has been a patient in a mental institution within the past five years. The bill amends Tennessee criminal code (TCA Title 33 and 39) to establish this new offense and its penalties.

Why is this important

This bill directly addresses firearm access restrictions based on mental health history—a policy debate centered on public safety versus individual rights. The law would apply a broad five-year lookback period regardless of diagnosis severity, current mental status, or whether someone received treatment voluntarily or involuntarily, affecting a significant population's ability to purchase firearms.

Potential points of contention

  • Definitional scope: "Patient in a mental institution" is broad and undefined—it could encompass voluntary treatment, short-term crisis visits, or serious psychiatric conditions equally, raising questions about proportionality and over-inclusion
  • Constitutional concerns: Federal law and some state courts have questioned blanket mental health-based firearm prohibitions without individualized dangerousness assessments, potentially conflicting with Second Amendment protections
  • Due process and privacy: The law doesn't appear to include mechanisms for individuals to challenge their status, remove themselves from restrictions, or appeal after recovery—raising fairness concerns for those who received treatment years ago
  • Implementation challenges: Enforcing this requires sellers to access mental health records (privacy issues) and determine institutional status reliably; unclear how background check systems would verify this information

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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