NASHVILLE, TN — A bill proposed by state legislators aims to rename the handgun carry permit.

House Bill 1005 Firearms and Ammunition – As introduced, renames enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm carry permits and authorizes a permit holder to carry any firearms, rather than handguns, that the permit holder legally owns or possesses; expands the circumstances in which a permit holder may carry a firearm. – Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 70

Under the bill, the words “handgun,” “handguns,” and “handgun permit” would be amended and replaced by the word “firearm(s)”.

Rep.Chris Todd stated during the Civil Justice Committee on Wednesday, “Basically three different things, by changing our language, not creating any new crimes or relieving any crimes that we currently have on the books, but relieving that infringement on the Second Amendment, allowing 18 to 20-year-olds to carry Constitutionally and with a permit as we have been ordered by the court,”

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David B. Rausch shared concerns about amending the language to “firearm” by pointing to evidence from other states such as Texas and Ohio, which have already allowed citizens to openly carry any firearm.

“And they do that, what happens is public alarm goes up, not surprisingly,” he said. “So there are two challenges there. One is on those who are legally carrying and the other is on law enforcement. The one on those legally carrying, of course, puts them in a position of trying to make a decision on the safety of themselves and others. What we have seen in these other states is where that conflict happens.”

Rausch says the same thing can happen to law enforcement, causing people to call on them to determine why a person may be carrying a long rifle in a public setting.

No action was taken on the bill on Wednesday, and it was moved to the Civil Justice Committee for March 15.

If passed, the bill would also make allowances for enhanced permit holders to carry a firearm on a refuge, public hunting area, wildlife management area, or a national forest maintained by the State for hunting.

The bill states that the new language shall not be construed to authorize any out-of-state permit holders a license to carry, in the state of Tennessee, any firearm other than a handgun.