The Tennessee General Assembly is due to temporarily adjourn this weekend because of Covid-19.   While that may mean legislation to force colleges and universities to allow students 21+ to carry on campus is on hold – we ask constituents to continue contacting their lawmakers in opposition to this dangerous policy.

HB 2201/SB 2288 would allow students (ages 21 +)* to carry loaded, concealed handguns on many parts of Tennessee’s public colleges and universities.  We need your help today to stop this legislation.

TAKE ACTION BY EMAIL NOW

Please take a moment and with one click you can email the members of the House Constitutional Protections & Sentencing Subcommittee and Senate Education Committee.

>>Click here to email the committee members

This is a public safety issue. Tennessee’s campuses have extremely low crime rates. Studies have regularly shown that the presence of firearms increases the risk of suicide and unintentional deaths.

From 2001-2017 (According to the Dept. of Education – Clery data)

  • 92% of TN post-secondary institutions reported less than 12 crimes per year (that’s less than 1 crime per month)
  • 68% of TN post-secondary institutions reported zero crimes on campus

Suicide is a real concern impacting college age students

  • In 2018, 63 young people (ages 18-24) died by suicide with a firearm in TN. This equates to 10.3 per 100,000 individuals this age group. The national average for the same age group is 8.1 per 100,000 people. (WISQARS – CDC 2018)

Thanks for taking action.

*In 2016, TN enacted legislation to allow full-time college and university employees in possession of a concealed weapons permit the ability to carry on campus in limited places after registering with campus law enforcement.