Tennessee House Bill HB1098

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/10/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 and Title 55, Chapter 50, relative to firearms.

Summary

HB1098 amends Tennessee’s criminal code to make it an offense for a person to knowingly carry or possess a firearm if the person is not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. The bill applies to any firearm, including privately assembled firearms that lack a serial number or other identifying mark consistent with federal manufacturing/import requirements. A violation would be classified as a Class A misdemeanor. The measure is framed as a firearms regulation and would add a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-1307, while also referencing the immigration-related definition of lawful permanent resident in Title 55. It would take effect July 1, 2025, and would create a new state-level criminal restriction tied to both firearm possession and immigration status.

Impact

If enacted, HB1098 would expand Tennessee’s firearms offenses by creating a new misdemeanor for noncitizens who are not lawful permanent residents and who knowingly possess or carry firearms. It would affect criminal enforcement under Title 39 and incorporate immigration-status terminology from Title 55, while also reaching privately assembled or unserialized firearms. The practical effect would be to impose an additional state penalty on a defined class of firearm possessors beyond existing federal and state firearms laws.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a restrictive approach to firearm possession tied to immigration status. Because no discussion history is available, overall sentiment cannot be reliably characterized beyond the bill’s apparent policy direction.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the bill’s linkage of firearm possession to citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, which raises questions about equal treatment, enforcement, and overlap with federal immigration and firearms law. Another likely issue is the inclusion of privately assembled, unserialized firearms, which may broaden the bill’s reach beyond conventional firearms. Without committee testimony or votes, specific supporters or opponents cannot be identified from the record provided.