AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to offenses against first responders.
Summary
HB0158 creates a new criminal offense in Tennessee for approaching certain first responders after being verbally warned to stay back. The bill defines “first responder” broadly to include law enforcement officers, corrections officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and other emergency service personnel. It also defines “harass” as knowingly engaging in conduct directed at a first responder that intentionally causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.
Under the bill, a person who knows or reasonably should know that an individual is a first responder, and who is engaged in official duties, commits an offense if they knowingly violate a verbal warning and come within 25 feet of the responder with the intent to interfere with duties, threaten physical harm, or harass. The offense is classified as a Class B misdemeanor. The act is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would add a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 5, expanding the state’s criminal code to specifically address interference with first responders. It would give law enforcement and prosecutors a new misdemeanor charge to use when someone disregards a warning and approaches a first responder within the specified distance with prohibited intent. The measure affects individuals interacting with first responders during emergency or official operations and is intended to create a buffer zone around those personnel while they are working.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears supportive and protective of first responders. The bill’s framing suggests a public-safety rationale, emphasizing the need to prevent interference, threats, and harassment while responders are carrying out official duties. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the supplied context.
Contention
No committee transcript or vote history is provided, so no specific points of contention are recorded in the materials. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s structure, could include the breadth of the definition of “first responder,” the use of a 25-foot approach restriction, and whether the offense could be applied too broadly in situations involving bystanders, protest activity, or tense emergency scenes. However, these concerns are not attributed to any identified legislator or stakeholder in the supplied record.