NASHVILLE — The General Assembly is scheduled to vote this week on a bill that would amend Tennessee's state constitution to guarantee Tennesseans the right to hunt.

House Joint Resolution 108 (HJR 108), sponsored by Rep. Joe McCord (R — Maryville), is scheduled to go before the House floor tomorrow for a vote. The resolution will be read three times before a vote is taken, according to Tennessee Wildlife Federation Executive Director Mike Butler.

The legislation would amend Article XI, Section 13 of the state constitution by adding the following text: "The citizens of this state have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game and fish, subject to regulations and restrictions authorized by this constitution and prescribed by law. When reviewing such regulations and restrictions, a state court shall utilize a rational basis standard, as the standard has been defined by state courts through case law. This section shall not be construed to abrogate any private property rights, the state's sovereignty over game and fish, or regulation of commercial activities."

The TWF spearheaded the effort to get HJR 108 to a vote. The vote will come after the bill was previously cleared by the Calendar & Rules, Finance, Ways & Means, and Conservation & Environment committees.

The bill was twice amended in committee, however. In the Conservation & Environment Committee, Rep. Frank Buck (D — Dowellton) fixed an amendment that changed the reading of the proposed legislation to say that "citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law." Buck's amendment spelled out that the legislation could not abrogate property rights or limit the state's ability to regulate commercial activity.

Later, a second amendment by Rep. Buck added language to the amendment that would spell out the tradition of hunting and fishing in Tennessee and state that Tennessee should preserve that heritage.

On Wednesday, the House & Rules Committee recommended the bill for passage to the House floor.

If successful, the bill will cap a lengthy effort by the TWF, dating back to when the organization was known as the Tennessee Conservation League, to bring about a "right to hunt" constitutional amendment in Tennessee.