| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 563 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Hemmer |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | HB0563 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 001276 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, |
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| 14 | 13 | | Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to firearms. |
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| 15 | 14 | | |
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| 16 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1307, is amended by adding |
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| 18 | 17 | | the following as a new subsection: |
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| 19 | 18 | | (k) |
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| 20 | 19 | | (1) It is an offense for a person to store a handgun, whether loaded or |
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| 21 | 20 | | unloaded, in a motor vehicle while the person is not in the motor vehicle unless |
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| 22 | 21 | | the handgun is kept from ordinary observation and locked within the trunk, utility |
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| 23 | 22 | | or glove box, or a locked container securely affixed to the motor vehicle. |
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| 24 | 23 | | (2) As used in this subsection (k): |
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| 25 | 24 | | (A) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in |
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| 26 | 25 | | subdivision (e)(2)(A); and |
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| 27 | 26 | | (B) "Trunk" means the fully enclosed and locked main storage |
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| 28 | 27 | | compartment of a motor vehicle that is not accessible from the passenger |
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| 29 | 28 | | compartment but does not include any compartment that has a window, |
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| 30 | 29 | | the bed of a pickup truck, or the rear area of a hatchback, station wagon- |
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| 31 | 30 | | type motor vehicle, or sport utility motor vehicle. |
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| 32 | 31 | | (3) A violation of this subsection (k) is a Class C misdemeanor, |
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| 33 | 32 | | punishable only by the completion of a court-approved handgun safety course. |
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| 34 | 33 | | The court shall not impose a fine or incarceration as punishment for a violation of |
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| 35 | 34 | | this subsection (k). |
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| 36 | 35 | | |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 001276 |
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| 39 | 38 | | |
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| 40 | 39 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1313(a)(2), is amended by |
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| 41 | 40 | | deleting the subdivision and substituting the following: |
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| 42 | 41 | | (2) |
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| 43 | 42 | | (A) The firearm or ammunition being transported or stored in the motor |
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| 44 | 43 | | vehicle is kept from ordinary observation if the person is in the motor vehicle; or |
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| 45 | 44 | | (B) |
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| 46 | 45 | | (i) The ammunition being transported or stored in the motor |
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| 47 | 46 | | vehicle is kept from ordinary observation and locked within the trunk, |
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| 48 | 47 | | glove box, or interior of the person's motor vehicle or a container securely |
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| 49 | 48 | | affixed to the motor vehicle if the person is not in the motor vehicle; |
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| 50 | 49 | | (ii) The firearm being transported or stored in the motor vehicle is |
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| 51 | 50 | | other than a handgun and is kept from ordinary observation and locked |
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| 52 | 51 | | within the trunk, glove box, or interior of the person's motor vehicle or a |
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| 53 | 52 | | container securely affixed to the motor vehicle if the person is not in the |
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| 54 | 53 | | motor vehicle; or |
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| 55 | 54 | | (iii) The firearm being transported or stored in the motor vehicle is |
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| 56 | 55 | | a handgun and is stored in accordance with ยง 39-17-1307(i) if the person |
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| 57 | 56 | | is not in the vehicle. |
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| 58 | 57 | | SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, is amended by |
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| 59 | 58 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 60 | 59 | | (a) A person who owns a handgun shall report the loss or theft of the handgun to |
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| 61 | 60 | | a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the location where the handgun was lost |
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| 62 | 61 | | or stolen within twenty-four (24) hours of the discovery of the loss or theft. |
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| 63 | 62 | | |
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| 64 | 63 | | |
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| 65 | 64 | | - 3 - 001276 |
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| 66 | 65 | | |
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| 67 | 66 | | (b) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable only by the |
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| 68 | 67 | | completion of a court-approved handgun safety course. The court shall not impose a |
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| 69 | 68 | | fine or incarceration as punishment for a violation of this section. |
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| 70 | 69 | | SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
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