Legislative Recap: Supporting Law Enforcement and First Responders

The men and women who put on a uniform every day to protect Tennessee families deserve more than thank-yous on social media. They deserve laws that respect their service, protect their lives, and back them up when they put themselves between us and the worst the world has to offer. This session, the General Assembly delivered.

HB 2428 adds first responders to Tennessee's Back the Blue Act, increasing the offense of assaulting a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony, punishable by a mandatory $10,000 fine and a minimum of 60 days in jail. In 2024, the General Assembly created the same penalties for assaulting a law enforcement officer. This year, we extended that protection to firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders who run toward danger when the rest of us run away.

The Chance Carlton Act, HB 1464, adds electrical linemen to the list of first responders whose families are eligible to receive $250,000 in payments over five years if they are killed in the line of duty. Chance Carlton was a 32-year-old Carroll County lineman who died last April while working to restore power following a severe storm. He left behind a wife and two young daughters. Tennessee already provided this benefit to families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and volunteer rescue squad members. Now we honor the linemen who climb the poles and run the wires that power our homes and hospitals.

I was also proud to carry HB1694 to help K-9 officers by improving transport options and clarifying liability when these working dogs are injured in the line of duty. Law enforcement K-9s are not just animals; they are trained partners who help protect officers, apprehend dangerous suspects, detect drugs, and serve our communities. When a K-9 officer is hurt while serving Tennessee, they deserve timely access to care, and our laws should help remove unnecessary barriers to getting them transported quickly and safely.

HB 1718 creates a one-year pilot program at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center requiring correctional officers to wear body cameras while on duty and interacting with inmates. The cameras and storage will be funded by CoreCivic at no cost to taxpayers. HB 2204 directs the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study the impact of salaries and benefits on local law enforcement recruitment and retention, with a report due by January 31, 2027. We also created a $1 million Volunteer Firefighter Vehicle Grant Program to help our smallest communities meet federal match requirements for new fire apparatus.

The thin blue line is not a slogan in Tennessee. It is a way of life. And the General Assembly stood with it again this session.