Generally, this bill authorizes capitol police who have completed certain law enforcement training to have law enforcement powers throughout the state and authorizes capitol police to be employed as security guards for private businesses licensed by the state.
Present law authorizes the commissioner of safety to issue special police commissions to capitol security personnel to go armed or carry pistols while on active duty. Generally, such commissions are only issued to those personnel who have satisfactorily completed appropriate training and are certified as qualified, including physical and mental competency, to carry firearms by the Jerry F. Agee Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy or other similar agency.
This bill specifies that capitol security personnel who are issued such a special police commission would be conservators of the peace, who, pursuant to present law, have law enforcement powers throughout the state.
Generally, under present law, it is a Class A misdemeanor for any person to act as a contract security company without having first obtained a license from the commissioner of commerce and insurance. This bill specifies that such provision and the licensing requirement would not apply to qualified capitol police working as a guard, patrol, or watchperson under a contract with a private business that is properly licensed by the state.

Statutes affected:
Current Version: 7-40-103(5), 7-40-103, 7-40-104(d), 7-40-104, 7-40-106(b), 7-40-106, 7-40-108