House Joint Resolution 53, sponsored by Representative Reedy, proposes an amendment to Article I, Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution concerning the right to keep and bear arms. The resolution seeks to remove the existing language that acknowledges the right to bear arms for common defense while allowing the legislature to regulate the wearing of arms to prevent crime. Instead, the amendment would affirm that citizens of Tennessee have an unrestricted right to keep and bear arms.
The resolution stipulates that it must be approved by a majority of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly and subsequently referred to the next General Assembly for consideration. Additionally, it mandates that the proposed amendment be published on the official websites of the Secretary of State and the General Assembly, ensuring transparency and public awareness of the proposed changes to the state's constitutional provisions regarding gun rights.