Gun Free‘ Zone Tennessee Business Liable for Disarming Concealed Carry Holders

“This bill imposes a duty of care.”

Paul Bois

Tennessee law now dictates that businesses wishing to create a “gun-free zone” will be held liable for the safety of concealed carry permit holders.

The new law, SB 1736, dictates that should any concealed carry permit holder’s safety be threatened after disarming themselves to enter their place of business, then the business will be held liable. The business will also be held liable if the permit holder incurs injury while “retreating from the business to a vehicle–during an emergency–to retrieve the gun the business owner barred,” according to Breitbart.

Below is a a summary of SB 1736:

Present law authorizes persons in control of property to post a notice that prohibits firearms on the premises. This bill imposes a duty of care on any person who posts their property to prohibit firearms whereby such person will be responsible for the safety of any handgun carry permit holder while the permit holder is on the posted premises and traversing any area to and from the premises and the location where the permit holder’s firearm is stored. The duty of care created by this bill will extend to the conduct of other invitees, trespassers, employees of the person or entity, vicious animals, wild animals, and defensible man-made and natural hazards.

The bill passed the state Senate 26 to 4 earlier in March and passed the House by a vote of 77 to 13 in April. The law went into effect on July 1.