Tennessee House Bill HB0214

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Failed: 2/18/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 37; Title 38; Title 49; Section 55-8-151 and Title 62, relative to school safety.

Summary

HB0214 revises Tennessee’s school safety and school resource officer laws. The bill expands the definition of “school resource officer” to include not only traditional law enforcement officers, but also retired law enforcement officers and honorably discharged veterans assigned to public schools by a director of schools or charter school director. It also authorizes local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to employ these nontraditional school resource officers to provide security on school premises, provided the governing body adopts a policy defining their duties, responsibilities, authority, and any limits on that authority. The bill further clarifies when and how school resource officers may carry firearms on school grounds. It states that a school resource officer may possess and carry a firearm at the assigned school, and it sets conditions for authorization, including legal firearm eligibility, written approval in most cases, and completion of 40 hours of school policing training. The measure also updates several related statutes so that certain duties and references apply specifically to school resource officers who are law enforcement officers under the revised definition, rather than to the broader expanded categories in every context. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would amend multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated affecting school safety, juvenile justice procedures, traffic-related school zone provisions, and school resource officer authority. It would create a new statutory framework allowing LEAs and public charter schools to hire retired officers and veterans as school security personnel, while requiring local policies and privacy-law compliance. It would also modify firearm-carry rules and training requirements for school resource officers and narrow certain statutory references so that some duties remain tied to law-enforcement-based officers only.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill faced mixed or limited support in committee. It failed in the House Education Administration Subcommittee by a 3-3 vote, indicating significant disagreement but not overwhelming opposition. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the close vote suggests the proposal was controversial rather than broadly accepted.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be whether school security roles should be expanded beyond sworn law enforcement officers to include retired officers and honorably discharged veterans. Supporters likely view the bill as a way to increase school safety and staffing flexibility, while opponents may be concerned about training, accountability, authority, and the implications of allowing more nontraditional personnel to carry firearms on school grounds. The requirement for local policies and privacy-law compliance suggests additional concern about defining limits and protecting student information.