DailyKenn.com — Tennessee's governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law, granting school teachers and staff the authority to carry firearms on school premises. The law takes immediate effect.
Despite opposition from school shooting survivors, educators, and anti-gun extremists, the bill was passed by House and Senate Republicans in the final weeks of the legislative session.
Under the new law, parents and most school staff will not be informed about which individuals in the school are armed or where firearms might be stored.
Teachers and staff authorized to carry firearms must undergo 40 hours of training. Approved carriers will be permitted to carry handguns in classrooms and various campus settings.
The legislation mandates criminal and mental health background checks.
The decision to allow a staff member to carry a concealed handgun requires approval from the school district's director of schools, the principal, and the local law enforcement agency chief, allowing school administrators to potentially veto teachers' requests to be armed on campus.
Several public school systems, including those in Nashville, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, and Sumner County, have announced they do not plan to permit teachers or staff to carry firearms, citing existing security measures such as armed school resource officers.
Republicans defend the bill's flexibility, highlighting that schools must opt into the program by establishing agreements with local law enforcement and approving staff members' requests to carry firearms.
However, critics argue that schools refusing to participate may be perceived as vulnerable, prompting concerns about potential risks.
Debates over the bill led to heated protests at the state Capitol this spring, with law enforcement instructed by Republican leadership to remove protesters and close the public gallery during disruptions of floor sessions.
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