The bill would continue a years-long trend of Tennessee Republicans expanding access to firearms. But advocates for gun control, who have participated in many demonstrations since the Covenant School shooting last year, have pleaded with lawmakers to stop the measure.

The School District of Philadelphia has four full-time certified librarians this year for more than 116,000 students, per spokesperson Marissa Orbanek.

Local districts say the denials will force them to take undesirable steps to balance their budgets, such as increasing class sizes.

Lawmakers proposing the bills are pointing to counselor shortages but are not completely playing down the religious aspects of putting chaplains in schools.