Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB0257 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	HOUSE BILL 214
3	3	By Rudd
4	4
5	5	SENATE BILL 257
6	6	By Pody
7	7
8	8
9	9	SB0257
10	10	000104
11	11	- 1 -
12	12
13	13	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8;
14	14	Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 37; Title 38; Title
15	15	49; Section 55-8-151 and Title 62, relative to
16	16	school safety.
17	17
18	18	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
19	19	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4202, is amended by deleting
20	20	subdivision (6) and substituting instead the following:
21	21	(6) "School resource officer" means:
22	22	(A) A law enforcement officer, as defined in § 39-11-106, who is in
23	23	compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations of the peace officers standards
24	24	and training commission and who has been assigned to a school in accordance
25	25	with a memorandum of understanding between the chief of the appropriate law
26	26	enforcement agency and the LEA or in accordance with § 49-6-820;
27	27	(B) A retired law enforcement officer who is retired from a federal, state,
28	28	or local law enforcement agency, and who has been assigned to a public school
29	29	by the director of schools or by the director of the public charter school; or
30	30	(C) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces
31	31	who has been assigned to a public school by the director of schools or by the
32	32	director of the public charter school;
33	33	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 42, is amended by
34	34	adding the following as a new section:
35	35	(a) LEAs and public charter schools may employ a school resource officer, as
36	36	defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(B) or (C), to provide security on school premises.
37	37
38	38
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40	40
41	41	(b)
42	42	(1) Each local board of education and public charter school governing
43	43	body that intends to employ a school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-
44	44	4202(6)(B) or (C), shall adopt a policy that outlines the duties, responsibilities,
45	45	and authority of a school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(B) or (C),
46	46	including any limitations on such a school resource officer's authority.
47	47	(2) Each policy must ensure compliance with the federal Family
48	48	Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g); § 10-7-504; the
49	49	Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act, compiled in chapter 1,
50	50	part 7 of this title; and all other relevant privacy laws.
51	51	SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-815(a), is amended by deleting
52	52	subdivisions (2) and (3) and substituting instead the following:
53	53	(2) A school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-4202, is permitted to possess
54	54	and carry a firearm on the grounds of the school at which the person is assigned.
55	55	SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-820(b)(7), is amended by
56	56	deleting the language "§ 49-6-815(a)(3)" and substituting instead the language "§ 49-6-815".
57	57	SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-815(b), is amended by deleting
58	58	subdivision (2) and substituting instead the following:
59	59	(2) Pursuant to subdivision (a)(2), the person must:
60	60	(A) Be authorized to possess and carry a firearm pursuant to § 39-17-
61	61	1351;
62	62	(B) Except for a person assigned to a school in accordance with § 49-6-
63	63	820, have the joint written authorization of the LEA's director of schools, in
64	64	conjunction with the principal of the school at which the person is assigned, to
65	65	carry or possess a firearm on school grounds; and
66	66
67	67
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69	69
70	70	(C)
71	71	(i)
72	72	(a) Be a law enforcement officer, or have prior service as
73	73	a law enforcement officer, as defined in § 39-11-106; or
74	74	(b) Be an honorably discharged veteran of the United
75	75	States armed forces;
76	76	(ii) Comply with all laws, rules, and regulations of the POST
77	77	commission, as applicable; and
78	78	(iii) Have successfully completed forty (40) hours in basic training
79	79	in school policing as required by § 49-6-4217. Any such training must be
80	80	approved by the LEA and the cost of the training, firearm, and
81	81	ammunition is at the expense of the person seeking authorization to
82	82	possess and carry a firearm on school grounds, not the LEA of the school
83	83	at which the person is assigned.
84	84	SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-815(k), is amended by deleting
85	85	subdivision (2) and substituting instead the following:
86	86	(2) If a school resource officer is not assigned to the school, or if the school
87	87	resource officer assigned to the school is not employed by a law enforcement agency,
88	88	the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the school.
89	89	SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-131(a)(2)(F), is amended by
90	90	deleting the language "the school resource officer" and substituting instead the language "a
91	91	school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(A)".
92	92	SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-131(c)(5), is amended by
93	93	deleting the language "The school resource officer" and substituting instead the language "A
94	94	school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(A),".
95	95
96	96
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98	98
99	99	SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3051(d), is amended by
100	100	deleting the language "the school resource officer" and substituting instead the language "a
101	101	school resource officer, as defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(A)".
102	102	SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-10-1304(h)(3), is amended by
103	103	deleting the language "as defined in § 49-6-4202" and substituting instead the language "as
104	104	defined in § 49-6-4202(6)(A)".
105	105	SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-151(c)(2), is amended by
106	106	deleting the language "§ 49-6-4202" and substituting instead the language "§ 49-6-4202(6)(A)".
107	107	SECTION 12. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.