Criminal Justice

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1119: Criminal Procedure - As introduced, allows certain persons deprived of the right of suffrage to apply for a voter registration card and have the right of suffrage provisionally restored if the person enters into a payment plan to become current on all child support obligations. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

This bill allows Tennessee residents who owe unpaid child support to apply for voter registration by entering a payment plan to catch up on those debts, rather than requiring full payment upfront to regain voting rights. It provides for provisional restoration of voting rights upon entering a payment plan, with courts able to revoke this provision if the plan is not followed - after offering court-appointed counsel and a hearing to address financial hardship. The law, effective July 1, 2025, applies to new voter registration applications and requires the Secretary of State to develop implementing rules with the Department of Human Services and courts. It directly affects individuals with outstanding child support obligations who seek to vote in Tennessee.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestores voting rights via payment plan for child support debt, a key criminal justice reform measure aligning with reducing barriers to civic participation for affected individuals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Courts

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 45: Sentencing - As introduced, adds as an enhancement factor to be used in determining the sentence within the permissible range for a criminal offense that the defendant is an adult and committed the offense with a minor, regardless of whether the minor was convicted of the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

SB 45 would add a new sentencing factor for judges in Tennessee: when sentencing an adult who committed a criminal offense with a minor, judges must consider this fact as an enhancement within the existing sentencing range. This applies regardless of whether the minor was convicted of the offense. The bill amends Tennessee law (Title 39 and Title 40) to require this consideration for all relevant criminal cases. The change would affect adult defendants in cases involving minors, making it a factor judges must weigh during sentencing decisions, but it does not alter the maximum or minimum sentences. The law would take effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds sentencing enhancement for adults involving minors, increasing penalties - aligns with 'oppose' indicators of stricter sentencing.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 10, 2025

SB 253: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, lessens, from 90 calendar days to 60 calendar days, the time within which a clerk of court must notify the health facilities commission of a conviction for certain offenses committed against elderly or vulnerable adults for inclusion on the registry of persons who have abused, neglected, misappropriated, or exploited the property of vulnerable individuals. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15.

SB 253 shortens the deadline for clerks of court to notify the Health Facilities Commission about certain criminal convictions. It reduces the time from 90 to 60 calendar days after a conviction for offenses against elderly or vulnerable adults involving abuse, neglect, misappropriation, or exploitation of their property. This change directly affects clerks of court, requiring them to submit notifications faster to update the registry tracking individuals who have harmed vulnerable adults. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-15-506(a)(1) and has no other substantive policy changes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeShortens notification timeline to expedite registry updates for offenders against vulnerable adults, enhancing oversight and protection within criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 2, 2026

SB 1181: Criminal Procedure - As introduced, lowers from 20 days to 15 days the notice of a hearing on a petition for restoration of rights of citizenship that must be given to the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner currently resides and the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner was convicted in order that, if deemed advisable, each may resist. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40.

SB 1181 shortens the notice period required for hearings on petitions to restore citizenship rights (like voting rights after a conviction) from 20 to 15 days. It directly affects individuals petitioning for restored rights and two specific district attorneys: the one in the petitioner’s current county and the one in the county where the conviction occurred. The bill amends Tennessee Code § 40-29-103 to require this reduced 15-day notice period, allowing prosecutors more time to review and potentially oppose petitions if they choose. This is a procedural change to the notice requirement, not a policy shift on eligibility for rights restoration.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeShortens notice period for restoring voting rights (post-conviction), easing reintegration process and aligning with civil rights protection in criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights

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died · Tennessee · House Mar 19, 2025

HB 588: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class E felony for altering or defacing a permanent distinguishing number on a firearm and selling, purchasing, or possessing such a firearm with a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 days incarceration. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 1; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 and Title 40.

HB 588 creates a new Class E felony for altering, covering, defacing, destroying, or removing a firearm's permanent serial number or other distinguishing mark, or for selling, buying, or possessing such a modified firearm. It directly affects individuals who tamper with firearm identification or handle altered guns. The bill imposes a mandatory 180-day prison sentence for violations, with no eligibility for early release. If passed, the law would take effect on July 1, 2025, and amend Tennessee’s criminal code sections related to firearms and offenses.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates mandatory 180-day sentence for firearm serial number tampering, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties per indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Firearms Sentencing

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signed · Tennessee · Senate May 15, 2025

SB 1399: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates an offense for a person who harms or threatens to harm an individual involved in the judicial process or a family member of such person with the intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with, or retaliate against the justice system participant in connection with their participation in the judicial process, punishable as a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 16.

SB 1399 creates a new Class E felony offense in Tennessee for anyone who harms or threatens to harm a person involved in the judicial process (such as witnesses, judges, jurors, prosecutors, law enforcement, or court staff) or their family members. It specifically targets actions taken to impede, intimidate, interfere with, or retaliate against someone for participating in court proceedings. The bill defines "family member" broadly (including spouses, parents, children, and siblings) and lists all covered judicial participants. This law, effective July 1, 2025, aims to protect individuals who engage with the justice system from targeted threats or violence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects judicial participants (witnesses, judges, etc.) from intimidation, strengthening court integrity and safety per bill's explicit intent to penalize interference with judicial process.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement

in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 1367: Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires a law enforcement officer initiating a traffic stop or pedestrian stop, on or after January 1, 2026, to inform the person stopped of the reason for the stop before engaging the person in questioning related to an investigation of a possible criminal offense or traffic violation; permits the officer to withhold such information if the officer believes that doing so is necessary to protect life or property from an imminent threat. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

HB 1367 requires Tennessee law enforcement officers to inform individuals stopped during a traffic or pedestrian stop of the reason for the stop before questioning them about a potential crime or traffic violation. The rule takes effect January 1, 2026, but officers may withhold the reason if they believe it's necessary to protect life or property from an immediate danger. The bill directly affects people stopped by police and officers conducting such stops, aiming to clarify the interaction process. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 38, 39, and 40 to implement this requirement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires officers to state stop reason before questioning, enhancing transparency and accountability in law enforcement interactions, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 595: Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires a sheriff to accept the surrender of a criminal defendant on pretrial release by a bail bondsman or surety for good cause, pending a hearing by a court with jurisdiction to admit to bail to determine whether there is good cause for the surrender. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 11.

SB 595 requires Tennessee sheriffs to accept surrender of defendants from bail bond companies when there's "good cause," pending a court hearing to determine if that cause is valid. This affects bail bond companies, sheriffs, and defendants on pretrial release by changing how surrenders are handled. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA 40-11-132) to mandate that sheriffs accept these surrenders immediately rather than rejecting them without court review. It establishes a clear process where a court - not the sheriff - decides if the surrender reason (e.g., defendant fleeing) is justified. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee as of April 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates court review for bail bond surrenders, adding judicial oversight to prevent arbitrary detention and aligns with bail reform goals protecting defendant rights in criminal justice process.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement

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died · Tennessee · House Jan 15, 2025

HB 74: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, 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 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 43, Chapter 27 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

HB 74 would have imposed mandatory penalties for selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products (like CBD) to anyone under 21. Specifically, it would require a minimum 48-hour jail sentence and a $500 fine for sellers convicted of this offense. The bill aimed to amend Tennessee law to cover these sales under existing criminal statutes. However, the bill was introduced on January 14, 2025, but withdrawn the next day and not advanced further. It is no longer active legislation.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeImposes mandatory minimum penalties (48h jail/$500 fine) for selling hemp products to minors, expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing - direct OPPOSE indicator.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Sentencing

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in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 720: Sentencing - As introduced, reduces the percentage of sentence that a person convicted of first degree murder on or after July 1, 1995, and sentenced to life imprisonment is required to serve before becoming eligible for release from 100 percent of 60 years less sentence credits earned and retained to 60 percent of 60 years less sentence credits earned and retained; prohibits a defendant becoming eligible for parole before serving 25 years of the sentence, if the defendant was 25 years of age or younger at the time of the offense, or 30 years of the sentence, if the defendant was 26 years of age or older at the time of the offense. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 2 and Title 40.

HB 720 changes sentencing rules for people convicted of first-degree murder after July 1, 1995, who receive life sentences. It reduces the required service time before eligibility for parole from 100% of 60 years (minus sentence credits) to 60% of 60 years (minus credits), while setting a minimum service period: 25 years if the offender was 25 or younger at the crime, or 30 years if 26 or older. This directly affects individuals sentenced to life imprisonment for first-degree murder under these conditions. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, for offenses committed on or after July 1, 1995.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces required service time for parole eligibility (from 100% to 60% of 60 years), aligning with criminal justice reform by easing sentencing for life-locked individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole Sentencing

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