AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 38 and Title 39, Chapter 17, relative to firearms.
SB1350 creates a new Tennessee “extreme risk protection order” process, sometimes called a red-flag law, allowing a law enforcement officer, law enforcement agency, or certain family members to petition a circuit court to temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms and ammunition when that person is alleged to pose a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others. The bill sets out detailed filing requirements, notice obligations, hearing timelines, standards of proof, and procedures for temporary ex parte orders, final orders, extensions, and motions to vacate. It also requires courts and clerks to provide standardized forms and informational materials, and it directs law enforcement agencies to develop policies for accepting, storing, and returning surrendered firearms, ammunition, and handgun carry permits.
The bill also adds a separate firearm-storage offense requiring firearms to be kept unloaded, in a locked container, and separate from ammunition unless the firearm is being carried or otherwise under the owner’s control. In addition, it lengthens the waiting period for firearm delivery by licensed dealers to 15 business days after completion of the existing background-check process, except for dealer-to-dealer transactions. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2025.
SB1350 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, and related provisions to create new court procedures, law-enforcement duties, and criminal penalties tied to firearm access and storage. It would require surrender of firearms, ammunition, and handgun carry permits when an extreme risk protection order is issued, authorize searches and seizures in some circumstances, require database entry and permit suspension, and establish a Class E felony for knowingly violating an order and a Class A misdemeanor for unsafe firearm storage. It also changes dealer transfer timing by imposing a 15-business-day waiting period before delivery of a firearm to a purchaser in most private-sale contexts.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a public-safety approach focused on preventing firearm-related harm, especially in crisis situations, while also adding broader storage and purchase-delay requirements. The structure of the bill suggests an intent to provide procedural safeguards through court hearings, notice, and opportunities to vacate or extend orders.
The main points of contention likely concern the balance between public safety and gun rights. Supporters would likely emphasize the ability to intervene when someone poses a danger to themselves or others, the involvement of courts and clear-and-convincing-evidence standards, and the return of firearms only after eligibility is confirmed. Opponents would likely object to ex parte orders, temporary firearm surrender before a full hearing, the inclusion of mental health and substance-use evidence, the mandatory storage requirements, and the extended waiting period for firearm purchases. Law enforcement agencies and courts may also have operational concerns about service, storage, database reporting, and compliance procedures.