Tennessee House Republicans have passed a bill that would legalize the concealed carry of handguns for teachers on school campuses who are approved by the school principal and law enforcement.
Teachers seeking approval will also have to complete the necessary requirements to obtain a permit for carrying a handgun, which includes a background check, a mental health clearance, and 40 hours of basic school policing training.
Parents, students, and other teachers will not be entitled to disclosure of which teachers are approved.
Despite four House Republicans and all Democrats opposing the bill, the vote was 68-28.
On Tuesday, the bill was sent to Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee for signing.
This follows a year after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, which took place in March 2023 and resulted in the death of three students and three staff members.
The proposal presents a different response to The Covenant School shooting than Lee suggested last year. Republican legislators quickly cast aside his previous push to keep guns away from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
Similar legislation has been approved for private schools in Tennessee, and on Monday, Lee signed legislation approving this for preschools.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
