Why It Matters: As hunting participation has generally been on the decline in recent years, access to quality hunting ground is often cited as a leading barrier to hunting participation. These challenges can be exacerbated when access and opportunity are governed by conflicting rules established by multiple agencies, causing confusion among would-be participants. Efforts to codify the state’s fish and wildlife agency as the sole rulemaking and enforcement authority when it comes to wildlife management, as opposed to a patchwork of local government ordinances, will clarify questions surrounding access to otherwise legal hunting grounds and should remain a top priority for lawmakers and sportsmen and women alike.
Highlights:
- Tennessee House Bill 2017 (HB 2017) and Senate Bill 2028 (SB 2028), sponsored by Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) member Senator Adam Lowe and Representative Mark Cochran, both introduced in January, will prohibit local governments from regulating the manner and means of taking wildlife, including the lawful discharge of a firearm.
- Both HB 2017 and SB 2028 passed the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this month and are now awaiting signature from Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Bill Lee.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted written testimony in support.
For decades, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and its rulemaking body, the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission, have been the state’s authority when it comes to regulating and enforcing hunting laws in the Volunteer State. Only pending a signature from Governor Lee, HB 2017/SB 2028 would further emphasize TWRA’s authority as the manager of Tennessee’s fish and wildlife resources.
It is well understood that the TWRA has sole management authority when it comes to regulating hunting in the state. Following specific instances in Tennessee where local governments have tried to restrict otherwise lawful hunting activities in city limits, affirming that this management authority remains with the TWRA is more important now than ever. A patchwork of laws that vary from county to county would only cause confusion among law-abiding hunters and potentially discourage hunter participation. Additionally, through both the Tennessee State Constitution and laws enacted by the General Assembly, Tennesseans should remain free from burdensome local laws and ordinances that may infringe on their ability to enjoy our time-honored traditions.
Moreover, under current law, Tennessee already has robust firearm preemption laws. With a strong precedent already in place protecting law-abiding firearm owners, it only makes sense to extend this same standard to those engaged in lawful hunting activities. Tennessee is also one of 24 states that has the right to hunt and fish enshrined in their constitution, which ensures Tennesseans have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by state law. It is also worth noting that HB 2017/SB 2028 would not alter existing discharge distance restrictions put in place by the state, nor would it prevent local governments from enforcing existing criminal laws.
CSF commends the Caucus and the General Assembly for their work and leadership when it comes to protecting our time-honored traditions from burdensome and conflicting local laws that would impede law-abiding Tennesseans.