HB 683

This bill authorizes an armed security guard/officer who has successfully completed enhanced armed guard training as described in this bill and applied for and received an enhanced armed guard certification from the commissioner of commerc e and insurance ("enhanced armed guard"") to carry a rifle-caliber weapon only if certified to carry such firearm. An enhanced armed guard may carry only the type of rifle-caliber weapon that the commissioner prescribes by rule when in the performance of t he guard's duties. Additionally, an enhanced armed guard may only deploy a rifle-caliber weapon, whether in an offensive or defensive posture, when a legitimate threat necessitating such deployment is perceived to exist or be imminent. During such time a s a threat necessitating deployment of a rifle-caliber weapon is not perceived to exist or be imminent, the rifle-caliber weapon must be securely stored in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe by rule. CERTIFICATION In order to be eligible for certification as an enhanced armed guard, this bill requires an applicant to meet all of the following criteria:  Hold a current registration card issued by the commissioner to act as an armed security guard/officer in this state, and be in good standing.  Have a minimum of five years of experience as a full-time law enforcement officer and be either retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be retired, from the employing law enforcement agency in good standing, or separated, or at the time of prospective certification will be separated, from the employing law enforcement agency in good standing; or have a minimum of four years of experience as a full-time member of the armed forces of the United States while in a combat arms military occupational specialty and be either retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be retired, from the armed forces having received an honorable discharge or separated, or at the time of prospective certification will be separated, from the armed forces having received an honorable discharge.  Submit to and pass a criminal background check and a psychological evaluation as described by present law, to the commissioner's satisfaction.  Successfully complete a written examination and an in-person enhanced armed guard training course approved by the commissioner, to the commissioner's satisfaction. This bill authorizes the commissioner to request from an applicant such information as the commissioner deems necessary to constitute proof of an applicant's eligibility pursuant to this bill. Upon receipt of a completed application and finding after investigation that the applicant meets all eligibility requirements for enhanced armed guard certification, the commissioner must issue a certification to the a p plicant upon the payment of fees as established by the commissioner. EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION This bill provides that an enhanced armed guard certification expires one year from the date of issuance. In order to renew the certification, an enhanced armed guard must submit to an annual criminal background check, to be conducted by the commissioner. The commissioner may set a reasonable fee to cover the cost to conduct the annual background check. TRAINING COURSE This bill requires the enhanced armed guard training course developed or approved by the commissioner to be offered no less than quarterly, be at least 16 hours in length, and, in addition to legal, weapon handling, marksmanship, and tactics training, to include scenario-based t raining on when a rifle-caliber weapon may be deployed in an offensive or defensive posture and training on the secure storage of a rifle-caliber weapon when the weapon is not deployed. The commissioner may contract with a third party to administer such t raining. This bill authorizes the commissioner to apply as full or partial credit toward the enhanced armed guard training required by this bill, a rifle-caliber weapon training course that an applicant completed while in the armed forces or employed as a law enforcement officer, as long as the commissioner finds that such training is equivalent or superior to that which is required by this bill. ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 683, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:  Changes references of ""enhanced armed guard certification"" to ""enhanced armed guard registration"" throughout the bill.  Revises present law provision exempting certain persons and entities from application of the "" Private Protective Services Licensing and Regulatory Act "" to, instead, only exempt such person and entities from the requirements of obtaining a license or registration under such Act.  Changes the provisions authorizing an enhanced armed guard to carry a rifle caliber weapon under the bill to, instead, carry a rifle or shotgun.  Defines ""rifle"" as any firearm designed, made or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire a projectile through a rifled bore by a single function of the trigger .  Defines ""shotgun"" as any firearm designed, made or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth-bore barrel either a number of ball shot or a single projectile by a single function of the trigger .  Revises the provision requiring an applicant, to be eligible for registration enhancement, to submit to and pass a criminal background check to, instead, submit to, with results submitted to the commissioner of commerce and insurance, a fingerprint-based criminal history record check to be conducted by the Tennessee bureau of investigation and then a fingerprint-based national criminal history record check to be completed by the federal bureau of investigation .  Removes the requirement that the enhanced armed guard training course be developed by the commissioner of commerce and insurance and only requires it be approved by the commissioner.  Revises the renewal requirements for an enhanced armed guard registration enhancement to, instead, require such guard to (i) p ay an annual renewal fee, as set by the commissioner of commerce and insurance ; (ii) s ubmit to a criminal background check, with results submitted to the commissioner; and (iii) s uccessfully complete an annual requalification course, approved by the commissioner, that is a minimum of eight hours in duration, of which no less than six hours consist of rifle and shotgun training and qualification on a weapon range. AMENDMENT #2 makes the following revisions:  Removes the provision limiting the exemptions only to requirements to obtain a license or registration under the "" Private Protective Services Licensing and Regulatory Act "" instead of applying to the entire act.  Adds a provision prohibiting a person from carrying a rifle or shotgun while providing security services without holding a current enhanced armed guard registration ."