Present law authorizes the following people to possess and carry a firearm on the grounds of the school at which they are assigned:
(1) A person employed by an LEA as a faculty or staff member at a school within the LEA; or
(2) A person assigned to a school in accordance with a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") between the chief of the appropriate law enforcement agency and the LEA.
Present law further provides that, in order to possess and carry a firearm on the grounds of the school pursuant to (1) or (2), the person must:
(1) Be authorized to possess and carry a firearm pursuant to present law concerning enhanced handgun carry permits;
(2) Have the joint written authorization of the director of schools in conjunction with the principal of the school to carry or possess a firearm on school property; and
(3) Be a law enforcement officer, or have prior service as a law enforcement officer, and be in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations of the POST commission, and have successfully completed (at the person's own expense) 40 hours in basic training in school policing.
Subject to certain exceptions listed at the end of this Summary, this bill specifies a process for a faculty or staff member who does not have law enforcement training to obtain authorization to carry a concealed handgun on school property at the school to which the person is assigned, if such person:
(1) Holds an enhanced handgun carry permit;
(2) Has written authorization from the chief of the appropriate law enforcement agency to carry or possess a concealed handgun on school grounds;
(3) Not be prohibited from purchasing, possessing, and carrying a handgun as determined by criminal history background checks performed by both the TBI and FBI;
(4) Undergoes a psychological examination conducted by a Tennessee licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, to determine whether the person is free from any impairment that under the examiner’s professional judgment would affect such person’s ability to safely possess and carry a concealed handgun on the grounds of a school;
(5) Completes 40 hours of POST-approved basic training in school policing at the person's own expense; and
(6) Is not a student at the school where the person seeks authorization to carry a concealed handgun.
A faculty or staff member who carries a concealed handgun on school property pursuant to this bill will be prohibited from:
(1) Carrying the handgun openly; or
(2) Carrying the handgun at certain venues and in certain meetings specified in the full text of this bill.
This bill specifies that an LEA and law enforcement agency are immune from claims for monetary damages that arise solely from, or that are related to, a faculty or staff member's use of, or failure to use, a handgun; provided, that the faculty or staff member is authorized to carry the handgun pursuant to this bill.
The requirements for law enforcement officers and persons with prior service as law enforcement officers to carry firearms on school property under this bill are substantially the same as present law.
This bill specifies that confidentiality requirements for persons who are authorized to carry firearms on school property under present law will apply non-law enforcement faculty and staff who obtain authorization to carry a concealed handgun on school property.
This bill does not apply to:
(1) Schools within the department of children's services' LEA; or
(2) Schools within the department of correction's LEA.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-815