Section 70-4-409

(a)

(1)   Any person possessing live wildlife in Class 1 shall, during normal business hours and at all reasonable time, and without the necessity of a search warrant, allow the executive director or any officer or employee of the agency to inspect all animals, facilities and records relating to such animals for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the provisions of this part.  A county executive or a county executive's designee may accompany the executive director or any officer or employee of the agency during such inspections.

(b) Local emergency management agencies created pursuant to title 58, chapter 2, part 1 shall notify the owner of a facility where Class 1 wildlife is kept of impending weather emergencies, of which such agencies receive notice in the course of executing their ordinary duties.  Upon receipt of such notice, the owner of a facility where Class 1 wildlife are kept shall have a reasonable time to properly secure all Class 1 wildlife in the facility to lessen the likelihood of escape.

Section 2.  Tennessee Coded Annotated, Section 70-4-405(g), is amended by adding the following language at the end of the subdivision (4):

     Any owner of a facility where Class 1 wildlife are kept who receives notice of an impending weather emergency from a county emergency management agency pursuant to 70-4-409 shall place. Or cause to be placed, all Class 1 wildlife in their den, nest box or other connected housing unit and shall close off and lock such housing until the weather emergency or immediate threat of such emergency has ended. 

This would apply to all zoo or institutions that hold class 1 wildlife.  If a storm goes through at 12 noon or midnight and a storm warning is issued, even if it is not directly affecting the facility all class 1 would have to be brought off exhibit and locked in dens, etc.

The "County Executive or designee" would leave the door open to anyone from animal rights activist to someone with a personal grudge.