Criminal Justice

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 2379: Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense; requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to instruct on the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39.

SB 2379, the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," makes it a Class A misdemeanor to recklessly fire a gun into the air, ground, water, or nearby objects where people might be present. It directly affects individuals who discharge firearms in public or crowded areas, with specific exceptions for law enforcement, military personnel, hunters, and self-defense situations. The bill requires all state-approved handgun safety courses to include instruction on this offense starting July 1, 2026. It does not apply to activities like hunting during open seasons, shooting at licensed ranges, or defensive use against animal attacks.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new offense for reckless firearm discharge, expanding criminalization (Class A misdemeanor), without reform elements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Law Enforcement

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died · Tennessee · Senate Mar 3, 2026

SB 2626: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person who is convicted of a felony from running for public office, regardless of whether the person receives a presidential pardon; prohibits a public employee from receiving retirement benefits from the Tennessee consolidated retirement system, any superseded retirement system, or any other public pension system, if such employee or official is convicted of a felony. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 8; Title 39 and Title 40.

SB 2626 would have prohibited individuals convicted of a felony from running for public office in Tennessee, regardless of whether they received a presidential pardon. It also would have barred public employees convicted of felonies from receiving retirement benefits from any Tennessee public pension system. The bill amended multiple Tennessee Code sections to remove existing exceptions for "malfeasance in office" and establish these disqualifications for all felony convictions occurring on or after July 1, 2026. However, the bill was withdrawn on March 3, 2026, and never became law.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts rights of felons by barring public office and retirement benefits, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of reducing defendant rights.90% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 2298: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds to the criminal offense of aggravated assault, an assault that involves brandishing a deadly weapon; defines brandish to mean waving or exhibiting a weapon in a manner that would be found by a reasonable person to indicate a threat to use the weapon. - Amends TCA Title 39.

HB 2298 amends Tennessee's aggravated assault law to include "brandishing" a weapon as an aggravating factor. It defines "brandish" as waving or exhibiting a weapon in a threatening manner that a reasonable person would interpret as a threat to use it. This change affects how prosecutors charge aggravated assault cases involving weapons and sets a clear legal standard for what constitutes brandishing. The bill updates Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 39-13-102 and adds a definition to Section 39-11-106, effective July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by adding brandishing as aggravating factor for aggravated assault, increasing severity of charges.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 2264: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the Class B misdemeanor offense of interfering with a religious institution if a person acts to intentionally obstruct, disturb, or interfere with the activities of the religious institution by making an utterance, gesture, or display in a manner that is offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person, either within the place where the meeting is held or so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the activities; defines "religious institution" as a church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

HB 2264 creates a new Class B misdemeanor offense for intentionally obstructing, disturbing, or interfering with religious institution activities through offensive words, gestures, or displays near the location. It specifically applies to conduct that would be offensive to an ordinary person and disrupts the "order and solemnity" of services at churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, or other places of worship. The law amends Tennessee’s criminal code to define this offense and its penalty, effective July 2026. It directly affects individuals who engage in such disruptive conduct near religious gatherings, not general protest activities. The bill does not criminalize all criticism or peaceful demonstrations, only those meeting the defined threshold.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new misdemeanor offense for disrupting religious institutions, increasing penalties for conduct near places of worship95% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 2664: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds to the criminal offense of aggravated assault, an assault that involves brandishing a deadly weapon; defines brandish to mean waving or exhibiting a weapon in a manner that would be found by a reasonable person to indicate a threat to use the weapon. - Amends TCA Title 39.

SB 2664 amends Tennessee's aggravated assault law to include "brandishing" a deadly weapon as a factor that elevates an assault to aggravated assault. It defines "brandish" as waving or exhibiting a weapon in a manner a reasonable person would interpret as a threat to use it. This change directly affects individuals charged with assault involving weapon display, making such acts subject to harsher penalties under aggravated assault. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands aggravated assault to include weapon brandishing, increasing penalties; aligns with 'oppose' indicators of stricter sentencing.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2470: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates an offense to knowingly inhale, ingest, use, or possess any compound, liquid, gas, or chemical that contains nitrous oxide. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 57, Chapter 7; Title 63 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 10.

HB 2470 would make it a Class A misdemeanor to knowingly inhale, ingest, use, or possess nitrous oxide (commonly called "laughing gas") or amyl nitrite ("poppers"), directly affecting individuals using these substances recreationally. The bill includes exceptions for medical use, industrial manufacturing, food service propellants, and automotive purposes, but labeling or flavoring creates a presumption against these exceptions. Businesses selling nitrous oxide for prohibited use face license suspension (30 days for first violation) or revocation (second violation). The bill, which would take effect July 1, 2026, amends multiple Tennessee code sections to implement these changes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new misdemeanor offense for recreational nitrous oxide use, increasing penalties without reform focus.95% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 2408: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds insects to the offense of displaying, exhibiting, handling, or using a venomous or dangerous snake or reptile in a manner that endangers the life or health of another person. - Amends TCA Title 39.

SB 2408 amends Tennessee law to expand the definition of criminal offenses involving dangerous animals. It replaces "venomous or dangerous snake or reptile" with "venomous or dangerous snake, insect, or reptile" in Section 39-17-101, making it illegal to display, exhibit, handle, or use venomous insects in ways that endanger public safety. This change directly affects individuals who handle venomous insects (like certain wasps or bees) in public or commercial settings where others might be at risk. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, extending existing criminal penalties for dangerous animal handling to include specific venomous insects.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by adding venomous insects to dangerous animal offenses, increasing legal penalties for public safety violations without reform indicators.90% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate May 27, 2026

SB 2640: DUI Offenses - As enacted, clarifies present law regarding the revocation of a person's driver license for an implied consent violation. - Amends TCA Section 55-10-407.

SB 2640 amends Tennessee law to increase the mandatory license suspension period for first-time drivers convicted of DUI who refuse a chemical test (implied consent violation) from one year to one year and six months. This change directly affects individuals facing license revocation under these specific circumstances, as defined by the revised Section 55-10-407. The bill modifies the penalty structure without altering the underlying offense or adding new requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases mandatory license suspension for DUI implied consent violations, expanding penalties. Reduces defendant rights via harsher sentencing.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill strengthens DUI safety enforcement by increasing license suspension periods for refusal of chemical tests, enhancing transportation safety standards under vehicle regulations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing Traffic Safety

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2618: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for assault against a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with a mandatory fine of $10,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

HB 2618 increases penalties for assaulting first responders (like police and EMTs) in Tennessee, reclassifying it from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The bill mandates a $10,000 fine and a 60-day minimum jail sentence with no early release for these offenses, effective July 1, 2026. It also separately increases penalties for assaults against nurses to a Class A misdemeanor with a $5,000 fine and 30-day minimum sentence. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of assaulting these specific professions by imposing stricter financial and incarceration requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates felony penalties with mandatory minimums for assaulting first responders, increasing criminalization and restricting defendant rights through no early release.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2524: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the new criminal offenses of systematic unauthorized employment and aggravated systematic unauthorized employment; establishes the tort of unfair competition. - Amends TCA Title 29 and Title 39.

HB 2524 creates new criminal offenses for employers who systematically evade federal employment verification (like I-9 forms) or exploit unauthorized workers. It defines "systematic unauthorized employment" as repeated failures to verify worker eligibility, misclassify employees as independent contractors, or knowingly use subcontractors employing unauthorized workers, making it a Class E felony. Employers found liable must pay restitution covering unpaid wages (based on FLSA or state minimum wage), taxes, benefits, and damages, plus fines of $50,000-$500,000 for businesses. The law directly affects Tennessee employers, particularly general contractors and businesses with patterns of evasion, and amends Tennessee Code Sections 39-13-301 and 39-13-317.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates Class E felony for employment verification violations, expanding criminalization of employer practices per bill's criminal offense focus.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill criminalizes employers evading federal I-9 verification, increasing state enforcement against unauthorized employment, aligning with 'increases state immigration enforcement' indicator.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill imposes criminal penalties for employers evading I-9 verification and exploiting unauthorized workers, requiring restitution for unpaid wages per FLSA/state minimum wage, strengthening worker protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Work Authorization Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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