HB 177

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 facilities that possess strategic special nuclear materials as defined by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 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-risk nuclear facilities handling weapons-grade materials have the same security force protections as nuclear power plants, addressing a potential gap in the state's nuclear security framework.