The Tennessee State Senate has recently approved a bill, SB 1325, which would authorize teachers and staff in public schools statewide to carry concealed firearms within their classrooms, given they pass a comprehensive background check and complete a specific training course.

The bill is now under consideration in the House, where a similar proposal, HB 1202, has been stalled since the previous year.

The proposed legislation stipulates that educators and other school personnel wishing to carry a concealed firearm must obtain "the joint written authorization of the [Local Education Agency]'s director of schools in conjunction with the principal of the school at which the person is assigned." Additionally, they would be required to submit biometric data, including fingerprints, undergo an extensive background check, and receive certification from a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist confirming they are free from any impairment that could potentially affect their ability to safely carry a concealed handgun on school grounds.

Upon meeting these prerequisites, individuals would then need to complete at least 40 hours of annual "training specific to school policing," which includes "hands-on instruction with the authorizing law enforcement."

The bill also contains a clause granting law enforcement agencies immunity from claims for monetary damages that arise solely from, or are related to, a faculty or staff member's use, or failure to use, a handgun.

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While Republican legislators and their supporters argue that this move is long overdue in light of the ongoing epidemic of school shootings in America, critics question whether increasing the number of guns in schools and effectively transforming teachers into law enforcement officers will effectively address the issue.