(The Center Square) – The Tennessee Senate will consider legislation that establishes a pilot program for an artificial intelligence weapons detection system.
One of the grant requirements is a loss of life on campus due to gun violence during the 2024-25 school year, which makes Metro Nashville Public Schools the only system eligible, said Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R- Chattanooga, the bill’s sponsor.
A 17-year-old student at Antioch High School killed one student before committing suicide with a gun in January. Another student was injured.
Metro Nashville Public Schools is implementing the Evolv weapons detection system in its schools.
“The system uses low-frequency radio waves and AI technology to scan individuals as they walk through,” the school system said on its website. “If an item is flagged, school staff will conduct a quick secondary check, making the process faster and less invasive than traditional metal detectors.”
The artificial intelligence system can differentiate between other metals such as cellphones and keys and weapons, the school system said.
Antioch High School began testing the technology just days after the shooting.
The Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education approved $1.25 million to place the system in all high schools.
The pilot program begins with the 2025-26 school year. The cost to the state for the start of the grant program is $17,000, but the amount of grant funding is unknown, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
The Senate Education Committee approved the bill unanimously on Wednesday. The full Senate will consider it on Monday.
A companion bill in the House of Representatives sponsored by Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D- Memphis, is assigned to the House Education Administration Subcommittee.