March 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
Legislation sponsored by State Representative Clark Boyd (R-Lebanon) that streamlines current law and protects the rights of our concealed carry permit holders is moving through the committee process in the Tennessee General Assembly.
This week, members of the House Constitutional Protections & Sentencing Subcommittee voted to advance House Bill 545, which protects the rights of Tennessee’s law abiding citizens who are handgun carry permit holders. The bill seeks to give protection for concealed handgun carry permit holders who unknowingly enter a private facility or business with posted firearm policies so long as that person was unaware that the property was posted and leaves immediately upon being made aware.
Under current law it is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine to possess a firearm on a property that is properly posted. The overall goal of House Bill 545 is to ensure that law abiding citizens are not unreasonably punished if that person unknowingly enters a posted business and is willing to leave immediately upon being made aware .
“This measure protects our concealed carry permit holders in situations where an honest mistake was made,” said Representative Boyd. “In the event that a law abiding permit holder unknowingly enters a business or property that is posted and discovers this after the fact, it only makes sense that the person be allowed to leave the premises rather than being issued a citation.”
Clark Boyd serves as Chairman of the House Consumer and Human Resources Committee, and as a member of the Calendar and Rules, Commerce, and Select Committees on Rules. Boyd is also a member of the House Employee Affairs and House Utilities Subcommittees. He lives in Lebanon and represents Tennessee House District 46, which includes Cannon, and parts of Wilson and Dekalb Counties. He can be reached by email at: Rep.Clark.Boyd@capitol.tn.gov or by calling (615)-741-7086.