DEVELOPING TODAY: On the Tennessee State Senate Floor, lawmakers pass a bill that expands punishments for unauthorized homeless camps to include infractions on all public property.

This bill makes it a Class C misdemeanor offense for a person to:

(1) Solicit from the roadway, shoulder, berm, or right-of-way of a controlled-access highway or entrance or exit ramp of such highway;

(2) Camp on the shoulder, berm, or right-of-way of a state or interstate highway; or

(3) Camp under a bridge or overpass, or within an underpass, of a state or interstate highway.

A person will receive a warning citation for a first offense of (1)-(3). A second or subsequent offense will be punishable by either a $50.00 fine and a sentence to 20-40 hours of community service work, or a sentence of 20-40 hours of litter removal.

The Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012 generally makes it a Class E felony offense for a person to camp on property owned by the state knowing that the area on which the camping occurs is not specifically designated for use as a camping area. An area of state-owned land may be designated as a camping area by the department, agency, official or officials responsible for the operation, protection or maintenance of the property in question by signage, advertisement, or other notice. This bill makes the Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012 applicable to all public property rather than only state-owned property. This bill also extends to local governments and their employees the provisions of the Act concerning impoundment and disposal of camping equipment that is used in violation of the Act.