NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Governor Bill Lee officially called for a special legislative session Tuesday, issuing a proclamation to reconvene lawmakers in Nashville on Aug. 21.
He is expected to present legislative and budget priorities during the public safety special session. The proclamation says the session will start at 4 p.m. Central Time and lawmakers will consider and act on proposed laws focusing on some specific subjects.
Those subjects are listed below.
- Mental health resources, providers, commitments, or services;
- School safety plans or policies;
- Healthcare providers' duty to warn about potential violent offenses;
- Offenses of committing acts of mass violence or threatening to commit acts of mass violence
- Reports from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation regarding human trafficking;
- Identification of individuals arrested for felonies;
- Law enforcement's access to criminal and juvenile records;
- Law enforcement's access to information about individuals who are subject to mental health commitment;
- Information about victims of violent offenses;
- Stalking offenses;
- Measures encouraging the safe storage of firearms, which do not include the creation of penalties for failing to safely store firearms;
- Temporary mental health orders of protection, which must be initiated by law enforcement, must require a due process hearing, must require the respondent to undergo an assessment for suicidal or homicidal ideation, must require law enforcement to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence, must require that an order of protection be reevaluated at least every one-hundred eighty (180) days, and must not permit ex parte orders;
- The transfer of juvenile defendants aged sixteen (16) and older to courts with criminal jurisdiction, which must include appeal rights for the juveniles and the prosecuting authorities;
- Limiting the circumstances in which juvenile records may be expunged;
- Blended sentencing for juveniles;
- Offenses related to inducing or coercing a minor to commit an offense;
- The structure or operations of state or local courts;
- Making appropriations sufficient to provide funding for any legislation that receives final passage during the extraordinary session; making appropriations sufficient to pay the expenses of the extraordinary session, including the expenses of carrying out any actions taken pursuant to this proclamation; making appropriations sufficient to support mental health initiatives; making appropriations for school safety grants, as described on page B90 of the 2023-2024 Budget Document and in Section 54, Item 1-41, Section 60, Item 25, and Section 60, Item 26 of Chapter 418, Public Acts of 2023; and making appropriations to support school safety at institutions of higher education.
According to a press release, the governor is also expected to introduce legislation that would require court clerks to report records to the TBI and require electronic submissions of dispositions and expungement. Other legislation would also tell TennCare to ask the federal government to allow federal funds for Medicaid to cover services for mental illness and substance use disorders.
The legislation would also create initiatives meant to help grow and retain mental health professionals in Tennessee and would eliminate some collaborative practice requirements for Advanced Registered Practice Nurses with psychiatric training.
The proposed legislation would also allow DNA to be collected from felons when they are arrested, according to the release. The TBI would also be required to report on the state of human trafficking in Tennessee, the release said.
Taxes could also be eliminated on firearm safes and safety devices, and safe storage training in gun safety courses could also be expanded. A public service announcement could also be created to promote safe gun storage.
The release said more than 20,000 Tennesseans submitted public comments ahead of the special session, and the form to submit comments would stay open through the session's entirety.
Lee has mounted a campaign for “temporary mental health orders of protection” and has maintained that it is not a so-called red flag law, which he has described as a “toxic political label.”
To date, 19 states have red flag laws on the books — with many lawmakers enacting them after tragedies. Before discussion about a public safety session started, a former student shot and killed three nine-year-olds and three adults in March at The Covenant School.
The shooting led to demonstrations in Nashville calling for action to prevent gun violence and spurred discussions about gun law reform.