38-8-116 - Law enforcement shooting ranges Methods for retired law enforcement officer to meet annual requirements to carry firearm shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce Ma - Tennessee Statutes

38-8-116.  Law enforcement shooting ranges Methods for retired law enforcement officer to meet annual requirements to carry firearm shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce Maintainence of a list of approved certified firearms instructors.

(a)  All law enforcement agencies are allowed to open their shooting ranges for public use when such ranges are not being used by law enforcement personnel. The law enforcement agency in charge of a shooting range may establish reasonable regulations for the use of the firing range in order to promote the full use of the range without interfering with the needs of law enforcement personnel. The law enforcement agency may also charge a reasonable fee for persons or organizations using the range and may require users to make improvements to the range.

(b)  A law enforcement officer acting as an individual and not as an employee, agent or on behalf of any governmental entity who has retired in good standing, as determined solely by the chief law enforcement officer of the retired officer's law enforcement agency, may utilize any one (1) of the following methods to meet the annual requirements to carry a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce in the same manner and to the same extent as authorized for an active law enforcement officer to carry a firearm of the same type:

     (1)  Obtaining a photographic identification issued by the agency from which the individual retired from service as a law enforcement officer that indicates that the individual has, not less recently than one (1) year before the date the individual is carrying the concealed firearm, been tested or otherwise found by the agency to meet the standards established by the agency for training and qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm;

     (2)  Meeting the standards established by the Tennessee peace officer standards and training (POST) commission for qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the same type by qualifying at and obtaining such an annual certification directly from the Tennessee POST commission; or

     (3)  Upon payment of any customary associated fees, utilize a private shooting range and engage the services of a certified firearms instructor to provide the training and verify that the retired law enforcement officer has met the standards established by the Tennessee POST commission for qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the same type. The certified firearms instructor is authorized to issue a certificate indicating that the retired law enforcement officer has met the applicable standards.

(c)  The Tennessee POST commission shall maintain a list of approved certified firearms instructors, which may include any instructor utilized by a person to receive a handgun carry permit under § 39-17-1351, that it considers qualified to train and verify that a retired law enforcement officer has met the standards established by the Tennessee POST commission for qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the same type.

(d)  A retired officer may bring the certificate issued by the certified firearms instructor pursuant to subdivision (b)(3) to the Tennessee POST commission. If the certificate was issued by an instructor who is on the POST commission's approved list, the commission shall issue the officer a certification that the officer has met the standards established by the Tennessee POST commission for qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the same type. A certificate so issued by the Tennessee POST commission shall be considered a certification issued by the state for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 926C(d)(2)(B).

(e)  The Tennessee POST commission is authorized to establish and charge a fee for issuing a certification under this section.

[Acts 2004, ch. 865, § 1; 2009, ch. 430, § 1.]