Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes ofwebsite accessibility

Tennessee bill to make homeless camping a misdemeanor likely dead for the year


Tennessee bill to make homeless camping a misdemeanor likely dead for the year (PHOTO: TDOT)
Tennessee bill to make homeless camping a misdemeanor likely dead for the year (PHOTO: TDOT)
Facebook Share IconTwitter Share IconEmail Share Icon

A Tennessee bill that would make homeless camping and soliciting near public right of ways a misdemeanor is likely dead for the year.

Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) introduced HB0978/SB1610 in February.

It passed the House floor Wednesday with a vote of 66 to 22 and 6 abstentions, but failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, likely killing it for the year.

The bill states soliciting or camping along a controlled-access highway or entrance or exit ramp would result in a Class C misdemeanor and a $50 fine.

It also seeks to expand the Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012 to apply the offense of unauthorized camping on state property to all public property.

Williams says the bill could be brought up again in the Senate next year.

The proposal sparked debate among homeless community advocates - some calling it an "anti-homeless" bill and "inhumane."

"Criminalizing homelessness is cruel and inhumane," a statement from Paula Foster, executive director of Open Table Nashville, previously said. "Instead of focusing on hiding our unhoused neighbors from sight our elected officials should be creating avenues for the development of low income affordable housing units and funding supportive services to address the root causes of homelessness."

Get reports like this and all the news of the day in Middle Tennessee delivered to your inbox each morning with the FOX 17 News Daily Newsletter.


Loading ...