The Tennessee General Assembly approved a bill last week that will discourage employers from firing employees found to be carrying firearms in their parked vehicles.
The bill passed 28 votes to five in the state Senate and 78 votes to 14 in the House of Representatives.
Representative Mike Carter of Ooltewah said that the bill is designed to protect employees who carry their guns with them in their vehicles to work, but only extends to firings directly related to the presence of the firearm.
“The employer cannot [fire you] simply because you have a permit or a gun in your car,” said Rep. Carter. “But if you sue alleging that, you have to prove that was the sole reason you were terminated. If you were late to work and terminated, no dice.”
The bill’s main opponents argue that the bill is redundant, as employees are currently able to sue for wrongful termination if their actions leading up to their firing were legal.
The legislation’s adoption is the latest chapter in an ongoing debate over the legal status of storing firearms inside vehicle trunks in corporate parking lots. The act was officially made legal on July 1, 2013. Since then, lawmakers have been attempting to set boundaries on what is considered legal concealment and possession of firearms on company property.
