NASHVILLE, TN (WGNS) - A heavily revised firearms bill is moving through the Tennessee House, and it’s already drawing sharp constitutional concerns from the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA). House Bill 2064, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd, was completely rewritten on March 11, 2026, during a House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meeting. The amendment itself was not posted publicly in the bill’s online history, but the subcommittee advanced it on a party‑line vote. Sen. Paul Bailey is carrying the companion bill, SB2467, which has not yet been scheduled in Senate Judiciary.
According to TFA, the amendment does more than clean up language. While it appears to remove Tennessee’s long‑criticized “intent to go armed” provision and broaden lawful carry in parks, the group argues that the bill also introduces new criminal restrictions that may not survive scrutiny under the Second Amendment or the Due Process Clause.
The biggest concerns center on Section 21, which creates a new offense for having, carrying, or exhibiting a firearm in a public place “in an alarming, careless, angry, or threatening manner,” unless acting in necessary self‑defense. TFA says those terms are so subjective that ordinary citizens may have no clear sense of what is prohibited—and that police and prosecutors could interpret them unevenly.
Legal challenges would likely hinge on two issues. First, under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision—reaffirmed in Rahimi—the State must show that any firearm restriction aligns with the nation’s historical tradition of regulation as of 1791. TFA argues the amendment does not meet that standard. Second, vague terms like “alarming” or “angry” may violate long‑standing constitutional rules requiring criminal laws to be clear and objective.
The amendment also replaces the word “handgun” with “firearm” in several places, broadening the reach of certain offenses. TFA warns that expanding criminal liability to all firearms, including long guns commonly used in rural life, increases the State’s burden to justify the law historically.
Juvenile access provisions raise additional questions, with TFA suggesting the bill shifts toward a prohibition‑with‑affirmative‑defenses model that may not align with historical norms.
TFA notes that the amendment does include reforms the group has supported for years, including repealing “intent to go armed” and removing gun‑free park restrictions. But the organization says the new public‑place offense risks criminalizing lawful citizens based on subjective impressions rather than clearly defined conduct.
