SB 220

This bill expands the legal authority for nuclear security officers to use deadly force by extending existing protections from just nuclear power reactor facilities to also include "Category I nuclear facilities," which are defined as facilities possessing strategic special nuclear materials regulated under federal guidelines (10 CFR Part 73). The legislation amends Tennessee Code Section 39-11-611 to clarify that security officers at both types of facilities may use deadly force when it appears reasonably necessary to prevent theft, sabotage, or unauthorized control of special nuclear materials, nuclear weapons, or nuclear explosive devices. This change ensures that high-security nuclear facilities beyond power plants have the same level of armed security protection under Tennessee law, addressing a potential gap in the state's nuclear security framework.