Senator Joey Hensley, MD

The 113th General Assembly has adjourned for 2024, and it was a very successful year. We have taken measures for Tennessee to be a better place to live, work and to raise a family. This is some of the legislation that was passed during this session.

Illegal Immigration

Strengthened Sanctuary City Ban / SB 2576

This year we passed a law to require all law enforcement in Tennessee to notify the appropriate federal authorities if an individual they come into contact with is found to be in the country illegally.

Under previous state law, notification was authorized but not required.

This legislation builds on action taken in 2018 to ban sanctuary cities in Tennessee, which ensured that no local government can shield illegal immigrants from state and federal immigration laws. (Public Chapter 973, 2018)

Increasing punishment for illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes / SB 2770

This law allows a judge to sentence an illegal immigrant to life without parole if convicted of a violent crime or if a deadly weapon was involved in the offense.

It also authorizes the same enhancement for adults convicted of a violent crime on school property.

The arrest of an illegal immigrant and all subsequent convictions must be reported to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The data will be used to help understand the impact of illegal immigration on Tennessee.

Reporting on illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Tennessee / SB 757 and SB 2158

Two laws passed this year to increase reporting requirements regarding illegal immigrants.

These reports will be used to understand the fiscal impact of illegal immigration on Tennessee.

Senate Bill 757 would require a local law enforcement agency to verify a detainee’s citizenship.

If not lawfully present, a report must be made to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Senate Bill 2158 requires the District Attorneys General Conference to collect data on the cost incurred by the state as a direct result of known illegal immigrants charged or convicted of a criminal offense and report the findings to the General Assembly and Governor.

$383,500 was allocated in the budget to fund this legislation to ensure the DA’s Conference has necessary resources to compile the report.

Sending Tennessee National Guard to the US southern border / SR 188

We passed a resolution expressing our support for Governor Lee’s action to send Tennessee National Guard troops to join efforts with the Texas National Guard and others to help secure the U.S. southern border.

After Governor Lee visited the border with other governors in early February, he committed to sending two waves of state active-duty soldiers to Texas to assist in their efforts.

Additionally, in this year’s budget, lawmakers approved $6.4 million for military deployment to the border.

Support for Texas in fight to secure southern border / SJR 906

We passed a resolution expressing strong support for Texas’s efforts to secure the southern border and exercise their right to self-defense under Article I of the US Constitution.

Additionally, Gov. Lee committed to deploying two additional waves of Tennessee National Guard troops to support Texas’ ongoing efforts to improve border security.

The federal government has created a crisis at the United States’ southern border as illegal immigrants are flowing into the country at record levels allowing drug cartels and terrorists to enter undetected.

Texas has declared the crisis an invasion and is pushing back to defend their state, while the federal government is attempting to block Texas at every turn.

Protecting 2nd Amendment Rights

Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act / SB 2223

This new law protects financial transaction data associated with firearm and ammunition purchases from being used to conduct mass surveillance of law-abiding Tennesseans.

It prohibits financial institutions from requiring the use of a specific merchant category code (MCC) to identify transactions that occur at firearms retailers in the state.

These financial institutes include banks and credit card companies.

Alleged violations of the law will be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and could result in a civil penalty of up to $10,000.

Protecting right to bear arms / SJR 904

This year, we passed a measure aimed at amending the state constitution to strengthen the right to bear arms.

The resolution proposes to replace the previous constitutional provision that authorizes the legislature to “regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime” and instead state that “citizens have a right to keep, bear and wear arms.”

This measure protects citizens’ right to bear arms in the Tennessee Constitution and limits the legislature’s ability to pass restrictive gun laws.

Tennessee gun laws / HJR 131

We passed a resolution that establishes that within the borders of Tennessee, only Tennessee’s gun laws can apply in court.

This ensures other states cannot enforce their gun laws in Tennessee.

It makes clear that if a Tennessee gun manufacturer had a weapon used in the commission of a crime in another state, then it is the policy of Tennessee that only Tennessee’s gun laws can apply to Tennessee citizens and companies.

Contact Senator Hensley at

425 5th Avenue North, Suite 746

Nashville TN 37243

615-741-3100

Toll Free 1-800-449-8366

ext. 13100

Fax 615-253-0231

855 Summertown Highway

Hohenwald TN 38462

Phone 931-796-2018

Cell Phone 931-212-8823

E-mail:

[email protected]