Criminal Justice

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 1749: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony the available sentence for an aggravated criminal trespass if, while in commission of the trespass, the trespasser encounters the owner using or displaying a firearm in self-defense; upgrades trespass offenses to Class C felonies. - Amends TCA Section 39-11-611; Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 10 and Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 4.

SB 1749 upgrades certain trespass offenses to Class C felonies in Tennessee. It specifically targets situations where a trespasser enters property without permission and encounters the owner using or displaying a firearm in self-defense - this scenario becomes a Class C felony. The bill also changes general criminal trespass to a Class C felony and adds new conditions for aggravated trespass, such as causing fear for others' safety or damaging property barriers. These changes apply to acts occurring on or after July 1, 2026, and directly affect individuals committing trespass under these specific circumstances.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeUpgrades trespass to Class C felony, increasing penalties for property entry with firearm encounter, expanding criminalization.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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signed · Tennessee · Senate May 27, 2026

SB 1992: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a Class E felony offense when a person, for the purpose of deriving a pecuniary benefit, engages in conduct intended to influence the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event while the person, or another acting in active concert with the person, is a party to a contract traded on a prediction-market by which the person will derive such pecuniary benefit directly from the settlement of that contract based on the occurrence or a nonoccurrence of the event. - Amends TCA Title 39.

SB 1992 creates a new Class E felony offense for intentionally influencing the outcome of an event when a person or another party has a financial contract with a prediction market that benefits from that outcome. It directly affects individuals using prediction markets - defined as platforms where people trade contracts based on unknown future events - such as sports, elections, or economic indicators. The law prohibits conduct meant to sway results for personal financial gain through these markets, treating violations as serious criminal offenses. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and defines "prediction-market" specifically to clarify the scope of the new crime.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new Class E felony for influencing prediction markets, expanding criminalization without reform context. Matches 'oppose' indicator of expanding criminalization.95% confidence

died · Tennessee · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 1634: Criminal Procedure - As introduced, removes the requirement for a petitioner for restoration of citizenship or an applicant for a certificate of employability to pay the costs of the proceedings. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

SB 1634 removes court fees for two specific legal processes in Tennessee: restoring citizenship (for individuals like veterans who lost rights) and obtaining a certificate of employability (to help people with criminal records secure jobs). It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 40-29-103(f) and 40-29-107(c) to state that "there is no cost to a petitioner" for these proceedings. The bill directly affects applicants seeking these legal remedies by eliminating associated court costs. It takes effect July 1, 2026, and is not a procedural resolution but a policy change removing financial barriers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves court fees for citizenship restoration and employability certificates, reducing financial barriers to reentry and aligning with criminal justice reform goals like rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransRemoves court fees for veterans seeking citizenship restoration and employability certificates, directly aiding veteran employment and rights restoration per bill summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 1906: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds as an affirmative defense to the offense of criminal exposure of another to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), proof by a preponderance of the evidence that a person infected with HIV was in compliance with a treatment regime prescribed by the person's healthcare provider to medically suppress the risk of HIV transmission. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

SB 1906 would amend Tennessee law to allow a person infected with HIV to use proof of following their prescribed medical treatment as an affirmative defense in criminal exposure cases. This defense requires showing by a preponderance of evidence that the treatment was suppressing the risk of HIV transmission. The bill directly affects individuals charged with criminal exposure of HIV, providing a legal argument that they took steps to prevent transmission. It changes the existing statute without altering the underlying crime or creating new obligations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows HIV+ defendants to use treatment compliance as defense in exposure cases, protecting defendant rights and aligning with criminal justice reform by reducing unnecessary convictions.90% confidence

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signed · Tennessee · House May 15, 2026

HB 1668: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense for a person to knowingly travel, with intent to commit theft of another person's cash, from a commercial business; a financial institution; or an automated teller machine, on the same path or route as another person without substantial deviation from that path or route while in possession of two or more criminal instruments. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 1668 creates a new criminal offense in Tennessee for knowingly traveling with intent to steal cash from businesses or financial institutions while following another person's path without deviating and carrying two or more "criminal instruments" (tools designed for theft, like lockpicks). It directly affects individuals who plan cash thefts by mirroring others' routes while possessing multiple theft tools. Violations start as a Class A misdemeanor, but escalate to a Class D felony if the person also violates other theft laws (Chapter 13, Part 10) or a Class B felony if they violate firearm laws (Chapter 13, Part 4). The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense for route-mirroring theft, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties from misdemeanor to felony.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Firearms

signed · Tennessee · House May 18, 2026

HB 1816: Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, requires the Tennessee opioid abatement council to allocate funds held in the opioid abatement fund in a certain manner. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 41.

HB 1816, "The Isbill Act," requires Tennessee law enforcement officers and correctional staff to undergo annual training on the criteria for involuntary hospitalization for mental health treatment. Specifically, it mandates the POST Commission and Tennessee Corrections Institute to create and adopt guidelines explaining when emergency and non-emergency involuntary admissions to inpatient care are appropriate. These guidelines will directly affect all law enforcement officers and correctional personnel in the state. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 33, 38, and 41 to implement these training requirements, effective July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires law enforcement training on mental health involuntary admissions, reducing criminalization of mental health crises and aligning with reform goals.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates annual mental health training for law enforcement on involuntary admission criteria, improving protocol access to inpatient care and aligning with mental health service support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Law Enforcement Hospitals Mental Health Substance Abuse

in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 1542: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits the use of a telecommunication device, with intent to deprive the owner of property, to fraudulently obtain or exercise control over the property of another without the owner's effective consent, which is punishable as theft, but in no event less than a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 1542 would make it a crime to use a phone, computer, or other telecommunication device to fraudulently take someone else's property without their consent, with the intent to deprive them of it. This law directly affects individuals attempting to commit fraud through digital means, such as scams involving online transactions or phone calls. The bill specifies that telecommunication fraud would be punished as theft under existing Tennessee law, but with a minimum penalty of a Class E felony (the least severe felony classification). It amends Tennessee's theft statutes to explicitly cover this type of fraud, effective July 1, 2026, if passed. The bill does not create new penalties but ensures these digital frauds are treated as serious theft offenses.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new felony offense for digital fraud with mandatory minimum Class E penalty, increasing punitive measures without reform elements.85% confidence

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died · Tennessee · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 2021: Welfare - As introduced, requires the commissioner of human services to provide to the commissioner of correction an application for food assistance to be used by inmates in state correctional institutions prior to release; requires the application to contain an option for the inmate to indicate a denial to apply for food assistance and reasons for doing so; requires the commissioner of correction to supply the application to each inmate prior to release; requires reports to the general assembly on certain data collected from the applications and on the number of inmates leaving incarceration who are approved for food assistance. - Amends TCA Title 41 and Title 71.

SB 2021 required Tennessee correctional facilities to provide inmates with a food assistance application before release, including options to decline assistance and state reasons for refusal (with anonymous option). It mandated correctional staff to distribute and collect these applications, then submit annual reports to the legislature on application completion rates, reasons for declines, and approval numbers. The bill was introduced in January 2026 but withdrawn on February 2, 2026, and never became law. It would have directly affected incarcerated individuals preparing for release and state correctional institutions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill provides pre-release food assistance applications to inmates, supporting reentry and reducing recidivism - key criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 6, 2026

HB 1502: Jails, Local Lock-ups - As enacted, authorizes the Tennessee corrections institute to establish certification requirements for corrections officers and to inspect and certify local correctional training academies; makes various changes regarding plans of action that may be submitted by a local certified facility following annual inspection; allows the director and full-time employees of the Tennessee corrections institute to carry a handgun under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 41.

HB 1502 authorizes the Tennessee Corrections Institute to set training standards and certify local corrections officers and training academies for jails and lock-ups. It requires local facilities to submit plans of action within 90 days after inspections to address non-safety issues, with limits on plan duration. The bill also allows the Institute's director and full-time staff to carry firearms while performing official duties. This directly affects corrections officers, local correctional facilities, and the Tennessee Corrections Institute staff.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAuthorizes certification standards for corrections officers and facility inspections, strengthening oversight in corrections systems.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

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signed · Tennessee · Senate Apr 24, 2026

SB 1970: Public Records - As enacted, entitles an individual who is not a citizen of this state to inspect or receive a copy of any law enforcement record or report pertaining solely to that individual. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7.

SB 1970 allows non-citizens in Tennessee to access their own law enforcement records, such as arrest reports or incident reports, which previously were restricted to state citizens. To obtain these records, non-citizens must submit a written request, valid photo ID, and a signed affidavit confirming the record pertains solely to them. The bill amends Tennessee’s public records law (TCA Title 10, Chapter 7) to override a prior citizenship restriction for this specific purpose. It does not affect confidential records or grant access to records about others. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows non-citizens access to personal law enforcement records, enhancing transparency and protecting civil rights in law enforcement interactions.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationRemoves citizenship barrier for non-citizens to access their law enforcement records, protecting individual rights and providing transparency in law enforcement interactions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Citizenship & Naturalization