NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — School districts across Tennessee are now permitted to allow teachers to carry firearms on school grounds, after the passing of HB1202 by Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) .
The bill would permit school districts to allow teachers and staff to be armed during school hours as long as those individuals pass a background check, psychological evaluation and submit their fingerprints to law enforcement, receive 40 hours of special training from law enforcement, and meet the qualifications of the enhanced handgun carry permit.
In order to allow the teachers to go armed, both the school principal and the district’s director of schools would need to enter into a “memorandum of understanding” with the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the school. Without that MOU, no teachers at a school would be allowed to carry under the new law.
Legislature OKs permitting teachers to be armed in Tennessee schools
The move was highly controversial, with bipartisan criticism of the bill, but it ultimately passed and will take effect upon receiving the governor’s signature.