---
type: "Bill"
title: "Firearms and Ammunition - As enacted, allows persons who are not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a handgun to carry a handgun while hunting under certain circumstances, rather than only persons with a handgun carry permit. - Amends TCA Title 44, Chapter 17 and Title 70, Chapter 4, Part 1."
description: "Firearms and Ammunition - As enacted, allows persons who are not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a handgun to carry a handgun while hunting under certain circumstances, rather than only persons with a handgun carry permit. - Amends TCA Title 44, Chapter 17 and Title 70, Chapter 4, Part 1."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "113"
identifier: "SB 494"
citation: "Tennessee SB 494 (113)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Firearms and Ammunition"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Stevens"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 23
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-01-25"
last_action: "2023-05-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e859eed6-8954-4588-bf1d-03bb7b3e2024"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0494&GA=113"
source_hash: "38dbf8107eee73acaf6598175ccc604949e24f1531cd5ce5dcc8c6efc0cab30f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 494 (113) — Firearms and Ammunition - As enacted, allows persons who are not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a handgun to carry a handgun while hunting under certain circumstances, rather than only persons with a handgun carry permit. - Amends TCA Title 44, Chapter 17 and Title 70, Chapter 4, Part 1.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment SA0158** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Amend/SA0158.pdf)
2. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/SB0494.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/10/2023 Passed (1) — **82–10** (pass) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 3/13/2023 Passed — **7–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/23/2023 Passed (1) — **23–5** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Stevens — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-01-25** Sponsor change. `sponsorship`
- **2023-01-25** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2023-01-26** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2023-01-30** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee `passage`
- **2023-03-01** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/7/2023
- **2023-03-07** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/13/2023
- **2023-03-07** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/14/2023
- **2023-03-13** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
- **2023-03-21** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2023
- **2023-03-23** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2023-03-23** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2023-03-23** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 23, Nays 5 `passage`
- **2023-03-23** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0158)
- **2023-03-27** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2023-04-10** Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 10, PNV 1 `passage`
- **2023-04-10** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2023-04-11** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2023-04-12** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-12** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2023-04-13** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-25** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-03** Effective date(s) 07/01/2023
- **2023-05-03** Pub. Ch. 218

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e859eed6-8954-4588-bf1d-03bb7b3e2024`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).