Tennessee House Bill HB0563

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/25
• Refer: 2/5/25
• Failed: 3/26/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to firearms.

Summary

HB0563 would make several changes to Tennessee’s firearm storage and transport laws. First, it creates a new offense for storing a handgun in a motor vehicle when the owner is not present unless the handgun is out of ordinary view and locked in the trunk, glove box, utility box, or another locked container securely attached to the vehicle. A violation would be a Class C misdemeanor, but the bill limits punishment to completion of a court-approved handgun safety course and prohibits fines or jail time. The bill also revises existing rules for transporting or storing firearms and ammunition in vehicles. It distinguishes between handguns and other firearms when the person is not in the vehicle, and it requires handguns to be stored in accordance with existing Tennessee law. In addition, the bill creates a new reporting requirement for handgun owners to notify law enforcement within 24 hours after discovering that a handgun has been lost or stolen, with the same limited misdemeanor penalty for noncompliance. The bill would take effect July 1, 2025.

Impact

HB0563 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, expanding state firearm storage requirements and adding a mandatory lost-or-stolen handgun reporting rule. It would affect handgun owners, vehicle owners, and law enforcement agencies by imposing specific storage conditions for unattended handguns in vehicles and by requiring prompt reporting of missing handguns. The bill also narrows penalties by making violations punishable only through a handgun safety course, with no fine or incarceration.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill faced significant opposition in committee. It failed in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee by a 2-6 vote, indicating that most members present were not supportive of the proposal. No committee transcript is available, so the record shows the outcome but not detailed debate. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a contentious firearms regulation measure rather than a broadly supported consensus proposal.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely the bill’s new restrictions on how handguns may be stored in unattended vehicles and the new 24-hour reporting requirement for lost or stolen handguns. Supporters would likely view these provisions as public-safety measures aimed at reducing theft, unauthorized access, and unsafe storage, while opponents may see them as burdensome firearm regulations that create criminal liability for owners. The committee vote suggests resistance to expanding state-level gun storage mandates, even though the bill limits punishment to a safety course and removes fines and jail time.