| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE BILL 158 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Eldridge |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE BILL 979 |
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| 6 | 6 | | By Southerland |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | SB0979 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 001228 |
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| 11 | 11 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, |
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| 14 | 14 | | relative to offenses against first responders. |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 5, is amended by |
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| 18 | 18 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) As used in this section: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) "First responder" means a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, |
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| 21 | 21 | | firefighter, emergency medical technician, or other emergency service personnel; |
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| 22 | 22 | | and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) "Harass" means to knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed |
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| 24 | 24 | | at a first responder that intentionally causes the first responder to feel substantial |
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| 25 | 25 | | emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) It is an offense for a person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach |
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| 27 | 27 | | from an individual, who the person knows or reasonably should know is a first responder |
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| 28 | 28 | | and who is engaged in the lawful performance of the first responder's official duties, to |
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| 29 | 29 | | knowingly violate the warning and approach or remain within twenty-five feet (25') of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | first responder with the intent to: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform the first |
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| 32 | 32 | | responder's official duties; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) Harass the first responder. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) A person who violates this section commits a Class B misdemeanor. |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - 001228 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
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