U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today applauded Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for signing Senate Bill 765/House Bill 786 into law. This NRA-backed legislation fully recognizes the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners to carry a firearm without government red tape or delays.
“This bill is a great step forward in the advancement of self-defense rights and Second Amendment freedoms for all Tennessee gun owners,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Jason Ouimet. “It simply means law-abiding Tennessean’s no longer have to pay a tax to exercise the right of self-protection.”
The legislation does not affect previously issued carry permits and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit in order to carry in states recognizing Tennessee permits to do so. It also does not change prohibited places where a firearm cannot be carried, or when force may be used in defense of self or others.
“Constitutional carry ensures a barrier-free commitment to Second Amendment rights and is core to a strong public safety agenda,” said Gov. Lee. “Tennessee finally joins 19 other states in siding with law-abiding, responsible gun owners and I commend both the NRA and members of the General Assembly for making it happen.”
Tennessee becomes the 20th state, including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, to allow law-abiding individuals to carry a concealed handgun without a government-issued permit.
NRA members and Tennessee’s law-abiding gun owners thank Gov. Lee, Rep. William Lamberth, and Sen. Mike Bell, for their hard work and leadership on this vital piece of self-defense legislation.
The bill officially becomes law on July 1, 2021.
About NRA-ILA:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
Under Constitutional carry is a citizen required to announce or reveal to a police officer that he/she is in possession of a conceal carry if stopped? Can that officer then ask you to remove it and hand it over for “officer safety”? Can a citizen assert a 4th amendment right not to answer personal questions?
Several on-line sites say that Tennessee is Not a “Must Notify Officer” state. I think that the “Officer Safety” part is a result of the Terry Search ruling: https://www.fletc.gov/sites/default/files/imported_files/training/programs/legal-division/downloads-articles-and-faqs/research-by-subject/4th-amendment/terryfriskupdate.pdf I have not read it in a while and these things are always muddled. My logic runs something like this: While various states may have passed such laws, the Terry Search ruling is case law, rendered on a specific case, and does not have the power of legislative law. An officer can take precautions to safeguard himself but needs a probable cause of you committing a crime to take your property… Read more »