Constitutional Authority

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. State Government
  4. Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act
  5. Constitutional Authority

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The general assembly declares that the authority for this chapter is the following:

  1. The tenth amendment to the United States constitution guarantees to the states and their people all powers not granted to the federal government elsewhere in the constitution and reserves to the state and people of this state certain powers as they were understood at the time that this state was admitted to statehood. The guarantee of those powers is a matter of contract between the state and people of this state and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by this state and the United States;
  2. The ninth amendment to the United States constitution guarantees to the people rights not granted in the constitution and reserves to the people of this state certain rights as they were understood at the time that this state was admitted to statehood. The guarantee of those rights is a matter of contract between the state and people of this state and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by this state and the United States;
  3. The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the ninth and tenth amendments to the United States constitution, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. Congress has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition;
  4. The second amendment to the United States constitution reserves to the people the right to keep and bear arms as that right was understood at the time that this state was admitted to statehood, and the guarantee of the right is a matter of contract between the state and people of this state and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by this state and the United States; and
  5. The Tennessee constitution clearly secures to Tennessee citizens, and prohibits government interference with, the right of individual Tennessee citizens to keep and bear arms.


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