Children's Services, Dept. of - As enacted, generally prohibits the department from requesting information regarding the number or type of firearms or ammunition or identifying information about such firearms or ammuniti, the official text

.

:"(;:~;.1..'( ,'.(.                   .:

• r....\.  ..,---,....J.,r.t:t=:,,,~  •

       Stakf/J~see

                              PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 869

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 2459

                   By Bailey, Bowling, Crowe, Gardenhire, Hatcher, Lowe, Southerland

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 2206

                                                  By Sherrell, Towns, Butler

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, relative to the department of children's
          services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 2, Part 4, is amended by adding
the following new section:

                    (a) The department of children's services shall not:

                              (1) Request information regarding the number or type of firearms or
                    ammunition or identifying information about such firearms or ammunition that a foster
                    parent or prospective foster parent owns or possesses; or

                              (2) Request a foster parent or prospective foster parent to display or provide
                    access to a firearm or ammunition owned or possessed by the parent.

                    (b) Subsection (a) does not prohibit the department from:

                              (1) Inquiring whether firearms and ammunition are present in the foster parent
                    or prospective foster parent's home and, if so, whether such firearms and ammunition
                    are securely stored; and

                              (2) Requesting to see the storage of any firearms or ammunition; provided,
                    that the department shall not request that the foster parent or prospective foster
                    parent open a secured storage compartment.

                    (c) This section does not apply to an investigation into an allegation of abuse or
          neglect within a foster home.

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 2459

PASSED:  April 15, 2026

         ~               ~~ j\\~~.'\\~
                                       •      - RANDYM\NALLy

                         \ SPEAKER OF THE SENA TE

                         c:?&
                         CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this ,:;111.. day of Apri· 1         2026

         ~la
                          BILL LEE, GOVERNOR