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Committee advances bill closing firearm purchase loophole and increasing penalties for child-exploitation images
Summary
Chairman Williams told the subcommittee HB 22-53 integrates recent language into Julian's Law to prevent some disqualified people from buying firearms and raises penalties for possession of large quantities of child-exploitation images. The committee voted to send the bill to full judiciary (6 ayes, 0 nos, 1 present not voting).
Chairman Williams described HB 22-53 as a two-part measure. The first component, he said, "clarifies that an individual who cannot possess a firearm under Tennessee state law or a court order also cannot purchase a firearm," addressing what he called a current loophole. The second component, introduced to him by a detective in his district, would increase sentencing ranges for possession of large quantities of child-exploitation images, scaling from class D up to class B felonies depending on the number of images and severity.
Williams noted that the bill provides "consistency to the law" so that someone who is prohibited from possessing firearms would also be barred from purchasing them. He told members the TBI and Department of Safety were available for questions; none were raised in this session. The committee voted to send HB 22-53 to full judiciary (6 ayes, 0 nos, 1 present not voting).
