The Department of Safety presented amended rules for the enhanced handgun-carry permit. Elizabeth Stroker, assistant general counsel, explained the rules reference the statutory eligibility criteria and that the department’s current practice — issuing permits to applicants 18 and older consistent with a federal court order — could not be written directly into administrative rules without a statutory change. The department noted a separate bill pending in the legislature would codify the 18+ practice.

The meeting contained the most contentious discussion of the day. Committee members asked about the age threshold in the rules and whether the department could put an explicit 18‑and‑up standard into rule text; the department and the attorney general’s office said rules cannot be inconsistent with statute and that statutory change is required to alter the age language in rules. Members also raised concerns about instructor-eligibility provisions (convictions and treatment timeframes) and whether the rules excluded specific training organizations; staff responded that references to particular organizations were removed so the department could accept courses from any organization that meets the rule’s standards.

Representative Fritz moved to delay (stay) the rule for 15 days to allow pending legislation to proceed; other members opposed staying the rule and moved to table the stay. The committee ultimately rejected the stay and proceeded to approve the rule: a motion to table the stay prevailed in the joint session (the House recorded 9 ayes and 3 nos when the table motion passed) and the committee then voted to recommend the rules by voice vote in the House and a roll-call in the Senate; the committee chair announced the rules moved out with a positive recommendation.

Why it matters
The rules include instructor standards, course-timing requirements and references to criminal-conviction/treatment periods that affect who can be a certified handgun instructor in Tennessee. Members expressed concern about the 10‑year and 5‑year lookbacks for certain drug/alcohol convictions or treatment and asked for further consideration. The department said many of those thresholds reflect existing statutory and federal limits tied to firearm eligibility and noted the broader concealed-carry permitting context is governed by statute and court orders.