Criminal Justice

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 4, 2025

SB 215: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, establishes mandatory minimum penalties of 48 hours in jail and a $500 fine for a person convicted of knowingly selling or distributing a product containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid to a person who is under 21; prohibits a retailer from knowingly allowing an employee younger than 21 to access, handle, or sell any product containing a hemp-derived cannabinoid on the premises of the retail establishment. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 43, Chapter 27 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

SB 215 establishes new penalties for selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products to people under 21 in Tennessee. It requires a minimum 48-hour jail sentence and $500 fine for anyone convicted of knowingly selling such products to minors. The law also prohibits retailers from allowing employees under 21 to access, handle, or sell these products on store premises. These provisions amend Tennessee Code sections governing retail sales and criminal penalties, effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeImposes mandatory 48-hour jail term and $500 fine for selling hemp products to minors, increasing criminal penalties per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing

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died · Tennessee · House Apr 29, 2025

HB 540: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, expands the definition of "racketeering activity" to include committing, conspiring to commit, aiding, attempting to aid, soliciting, coercing, facilitating, or intimidating another person to commit the criminal offense of animal fighting. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 540 amends Tennessee law to expand the definition of "racketeering activity" to include animal fighting. Specifically, it adds "animal fighting under § 39-14-203" to the list of offenses classified as racketeering. This change directly affects individuals or groups involved in organizing, promoting, or facilitating animal fighting events, treating such activities as organized crime. The law, effective July 1, 2025, makes animal fighting a specific racketeering offense under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39. It is now enacted as Public Chapter 264.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by adding animal fighting to racketeering offenses, increasing penalties for organized animal fighting activities without reform indicators.92% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 2, 2025

SB 33: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts "MaKayla's Law," which amends the offense of reckless endangerment to specifically include a person's reckless failure to render inoperable or safely secure or lock a firearm, resulting in a child under 13 gaining possession of the firearm and injuring or killing the child or another. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

SB 33, "MaKayla's Law," amends Tennessee's reckless endangerment law to specifically address firearm storage. It makes it a felony for a person who fails to lock, secure, or make a firearm unavailable, resulting in a child under 13 gaining access, discharging the firearm, and causing injury or death. A Class E felony applies for bodily injury, while a Class C felony applies if the discharge causes death. This directly affects firearm owners with children under 13, imposing criminal penalties for negligent storage that leads to child access incidents. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new felony for negligent firearm storage causing child injury/death, expanding criminalization of firearm incidents rather than advancing reform or accountability.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Firearms

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signed · Tennessee · House May 5, 2026

HB 359: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, defines "seriously bodily injury" for the purposes of the present law offense of vehicular assault, which occurs when a person who, as the proximate result of the person's intoxication, recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another person by the operation of a motor vehicle or vessel subject to registration; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 55.

HB 359 increases penalties for driving without a valid driver's license in Tennessee. It upgrades a first offense from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor and makes a second or subsequent offense within 10 years a Class A misdemeanor. The bill directly affects drivers who operate vehicles without a valid license, with penalties applying to violations occurring on or after July 1, 2025. This change amends Tennessee Code Sections 55-50-301 and related provisions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for driving without license, expanding criminalization of minor traffic violations, aligning with 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationIncreases penalties for unlicensed driving, enhancing road safety standards under vehicle regulations within transportation policy.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Driver Licensing Vehicle Registration

in committee · Tennessee · House May 15, 2025

HB 370: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, expands the criminal offense of harassment to include harassment that occurs by communicating in the physical presence of the victim, in addition to in writing, by telephone, or electronically. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 370 expands Tennessee's harassment law to include in-person communication as a criminal offense, not just written, phone, or electronic contact. The bill amends state law to define "communicate" broadly, covering physical presence interactions (like shouting or gestures face-to-face), verbal exchanges, and digital messages. This change directly affects individuals who engage in harassment through direct physical interactions, making such conduct punishable under existing harassment statutes. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, updating how harassment is legally defined without altering penalties.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization of harassment to include in-person interactions, increasing potential for prosecution under existing statutes.95% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 417: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, decreases from 150 grams to 50 grams or more the amount of any substance containing fentanyl, carfentanil, remifentanil, alfentanil, thiafentanil, or any fentanyl derivative or analogue that is punished as a Class A felony for the knowing manufacture, delivery, or sale of the substance, or possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell the substance. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17.

SB 417 lowers the weight threshold for felony charges related to certain fentanyl-related substances in Tennessee. It changes the law so that possessing, manufacturing, delivering, or selling 50 grams or more of fentanyl, carfentanil, remifentanil, or their derivatives triggers a Class A felony charge - down from the current 150 grams. This directly affects individuals involved in handling these substances, as it makes it easier to meet the felony threshold. The bill amends Tennessee Code §39-17-417(j)(12) and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeLowers felony threshold for fentanyl derivatives from 150g to 50g, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties without reform measures.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 31, 2025

SB 389: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class C felony of reckless endangerment involving community terrorism, which is committed against a population within a geographic territory by members of a criminal gang or within 1,000 feet of a school or park; requires the sentencing court to revoke or prohibit the issuance of a driver license to individuals convicted of such offense for a five-year period following conviction. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

SB 389 creates a new Class C felony for "reckless endangerment involving community terrorism," defined as gang-related acts endangering populations in specific geographic areas or within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, or other public facilities. It mandates that courts revoke or prohibit driver's licenses for five years following conviction, requires GPS monitoring to enforce geographic restrictions, and prohibits license reinstatement without court approval. Offenders may later apply for a restricted license for essential activities (work, medical care, school) after five years, subject to court approval, with full license reinstatement possible after demonstrating rehabilitation. The bill directly affects individuals convicted under this new felony, the Tennessee Department of Safety (handling license actions), and courts issuing sentencing orders. It applies specific penalties to offenses meeting the "community terrorism" definition outlined in the bill.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new felony, mandates 5-year license revocation, expands criminalization of gang acts near schools/parks, increasing penalties and restricting defendant rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing

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passed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 1, 2025

SJR 3: General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Establishes a definition of antisemitism and encourages departments and agencies of state government to use such definition in determining discriminatory intent for any law or policy in this state that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. -

SJR 3 is a Senate Joint Resolution defining antisemitism and urging state agencies to use this definition when assessing discrimination under Tennessee law. It provides 11 specific examples of antisemitism, including denying the Holocaust, accusing Jews of controlling institutions, or comparing Israeli policy to Nazi actions. The resolution encourages state departments, district attorneys (to seek enhanced sentences for antisemitism-motivated crimes), and schools to consider this definition when evaluating discrimination claims based on religion or national origin. It does not create new laws but serves as a policy statement for state entities. This resolution applies directly to Tennessee state government agencies, schools, and law enforcement.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeEncourages district attorneys to seek enhanced sentences for antisemitism-motivated crimes, increasing penalties within criminal justice system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate May 5, 2026

SB 375: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, defines "seriously bodily injury" for the purposes of the present law offense of vehicular assault, which occurs when a person who, as the proximate result of the person's intoxication, recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another person by the operation of a motor vehicle or vessel subject to registration; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 55.

SB 375 increases penalties for driving without a valid license in Tennessee. A first offense becomes a Class B misdemeanor (up from Class C), and a second or subsequent offense within 10 years becomes a Class A misdemeanor. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 39-11-101 and 55-50-301 to implement these changes, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects drivers convicted of operating a vehicle without a valid license.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for license violation by raising misdemeanor classifications, expanding criminalization and opposing reform-focused criminal justice policies.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationIncreases penalties for unlicensed driving, enhancing road safety as a vehicle regulation measure under Transportation policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Driver Licensing Vehicle Registration

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 1, 2026

HB 947: Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts "Akilah's Law," which creates the offense of selling, offering to sell, delivering, or transferring a firearm to a person knowing the person has been a patient in a mental institution at any time within the previous five years. - Amends TCA Title 33 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

HB 947, "Akilah's Law," creates a new criminal offense for selling, offering to sell, delivering, or transferring a firearm to someone known to have been a patient in a mental health facility within the past five years. It directly affects firearm sellers and individuals with recent mental health institutionalization (excluding those treated solely for voluntary alcohol abuse without other conditions). The law amends Tennessee statutes to prohibit these transactions and defines "mental institution" broadly to include hospitals, clinics, and evaluation facilities. The law will take effect on July 1, 2025, and applies to all firearm transfers, not just sales.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense restricting firearm sales to mental health patients, expanding criminalization under gun control90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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