Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

in committee · Tennessee · House May 13, 2025

HB 1229: Forfeiture of Assets - As enacted, removes the requirement for a claimant to post a bond when filing a claim to seized property. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 33.

HB 1229 modifies Tennessee's asset forfeiture laws by removing the requirement for claimants to post a bond when filing claims for seized property. This change directly affects individuals or businesses seeking to recover property seized by law enforcement under forfeiture proceedings. The bill deletes language requiring a "cost bond or" in Tennessee Code Annotated §40-33-205(a) and removes subsection (b) from §40-33-206, streamlining the claim process. The law will take effect July 1, 2025, applying to all seizures occurring on or after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves bond requirement for property claimants, reducing barriers to reclaim seized assets and protecting civil rights in forfeiture proceedings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 473: Criminal Procedure - As introduced, requires a person arrested for a felony offense to have a biological specimen taken by the arresting authority for the purpose of DNA analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person. - Amends TCA Title 18; Title 38, Chapter 6; Title 39 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

HB 473 requires law enforcement in Tennessee to collect a mouth swab DNA sample from anyone arrested for a felony offense on or after July 1, 2025. The sample must be taken before the person is released from custody and sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for analysis. If charges are dismissed or the person is acquitted, the DNA sample and records must be destroyed, unless other felony charges are pending. This law directly affects all individuals arrested for felonies in Tennessee after the effective date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires DNA collection for identification with destruction clause if charges dismissed, protecting civil rights within criminal procedure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 14, 2026

HB 985: Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, removes the criminal offense of possession of a weapon in a building or on property that is properly posted; removes the requirement that the department of safety suspend or revoke a handgun carry permit for a violation of that offense by a handgun permit holder. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

HB 985 modifies Tennessee's firearm laws by removing the criminal offense for possessing a weapon in a properly posted building or property, and eliminating automatic permit suspensions for this violation. It requires property owners who restrict firearms to post clear signage, install metal detectors at all public entrances, and have trained security officers inspect all visitors and bags. This primarily affects businesses, venues, and property managers seeking to prohibit firearms, while exempting libraries, law enforcement buildings, Head Start facilities, and certain licensed properties. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and shifts enforcement focus to physical security measures rather than criminal penalties for non-compliance.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves criminal offense for weapon possession in properly posted areas, reducing unnecessary criminalization in firearm laws.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Firearms Law Enforcement

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failed · Tennessee · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 1390: Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, allows a court to issue an extreme risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or relative to file a petition for an extreme risk protection order; creates an offense to store or keep a firearm in any place unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, unloaded, and separate from ammunition except when the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user; prohibits a gun dealer from delivering a firearm to a purchaser until 15 business days after the completion of certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

HB 1390 would allow Tennessee courts to issue extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed to pose a significant danger of causing personal injury to themselves or others. Petitions for ERPOs can be filed by law enforcement officers or close relatives, requiring clear and convincing evidence of danger before a court acts. The bill also mandates that firearms be stored locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition (except when carried by the owner), and requires gun dealers to delay firearm deliveries for 15 business days to complete background checks. These provisions directly affect firearm owners, law enforcement, gun dealers, and individuals subject to ERPO petitions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeHB 1390 establishes ERPOs to prevent gun violence via court intervention, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing harm through proactive safety measures.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Firearms Law Enforcement

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failed · Tennessee · House Mar 12, 2025

HB 741: Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires a law enforcement agency that uses body cameras to adopt a written policy for the use of the cameras by its law enforcement officers; establishes certain requirements for the policies. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 1.

HB 741 requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies that use body cameras to create written policies governing their use. The bill mandates that officers activate cameras during calls for service and encounters with the public (except during immediate threats), notify subjects they are being recorded, and keep cameras on until the encounter ends. Exceptions include turning cameras off when a private resident requests it, when interacting with domestic abuse or rape victims, or with anonymous crime tipsters. The policy must also prohibit using body cameras to record First Amendment activities unrelated to police responses. This directly affects all Tennessee law enforcement agencies and officers using body-worn cameras.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates body camera policies requiring activation during encounters and notifications, enhancing police accountability and transparency per bill requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 920: Sexual Offenses - As enacted, provides that when the victim of a sexually oriented crime is a minor, the consent of a parent or guardian is not required for the victim to receive a forensic medical examination. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 38 and Title 39.

SB 920 increases compensation for healthcare providers who perform forensic medical exams on sexual assault victims from $1,000 to $2,500 per exam, effective July 1, 2025. It also requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to complete DNA testing on sexual assault evidence kits within 120 days of receiving them from law enforcement, with written explanations for delays beyond that timeframe. The bill affects healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, and the Bureau of Investigation by changing payment standards and establishing new timelines for evidence processing. Kits flagged for delay must be analyzed "within a reasonable time thereafter," and the bill clarifies that delays don't affect evidence admissibility. These changes apply to exams performed and kits received on or after July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases compensation for forensic exams and mandates timely DNA testing on sexual assault evidence, improving victim support and evidence processing in criminal justice system.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases compensation for healthcare providers performing forensic exams (from $1k to $2.5k), directly funding a healthcare service for sexual assault victims.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 2, 2025

SB 337: Taxes, Sales - As introduced, authorizes certain counties to levy a local option sales tax at the rate of 3.75 percent, instead of a maximum of 2.75 percent, if the revenue from the increase in such tax is used by the county exclusively for the construction of a new county jail or to retire debt, including principal and interest and related expenses, on such construction. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 7.

SB 337 allows Tennessee counties with populations over 900,000 (per the 2020 census) to temporarily increase their local sales tax rate from 2.75% to 3.75% for up to eight years. The additional revenue must be used exclusively for constructing a new county jail or paying off debt related to such construction. If the jail debt is paid off early, the tax rate reverts to 2.75% immediately. After the temporary period, counties must allocate revenue from the 2.75% tax rate to fund sheriff's department operations (in addition to existing funding), not for other purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes temporary sales tax increase (2.75%→3.75%) exclusively for jail construction/debt, directly advancing fiscal management for public infrastructure funding.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds jail construction via temporary tax increase, directly supporting corrections infrastructure within criminal justice framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Corrections Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 1, 2025

SB 493: Forfeiture of Assets - As introduced, increases the burden of proof required to be met by the state in civil asset forfeiture proceedings from a preponderance of evidence standard to a clear and convincing evidence standard. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 33.

SB 493 changes Tennessee's civil asset forfeiture law by raising the standard of proof required for the state to keep seized property from a "preponderance of evidence" (more likely than not) to "clear and convincing evidence" (high confidence). This applies to cases under Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 40-33-210 and 40-33-213, directly affecting individuals whose assets (like cash or vehicles) are seized by law enforcement. The bill requires prosecutors to meet a significantly higher evidentiary bar before forfeiting property, making it harder for the state to retain seized items. It takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to seizures occurring on or after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRaises burden of proof in asset forfeiture from preponderance to clear and convincing evidence, protecting individual property rights and advancing criminal justice reform by reducing wrongful seizures.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 1022: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands "law enforcement officer" to include a correctional officer employed by a county jail, the department of correction, or a private prison contractor and a probation or parole officer employed by the department of correction or a private probation provider for purposes of the offense of assault against a law enforcement officer. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1.

SB 1022 expands Tennessee's assault law to protect additional public safety personnel by redefining "law enforcement officer" to include correctional officers working in county jails, state prisons, or private prisons, and probation/parole officers employed by the state or private providers. This change directly affects those officers by extending the legal protections of the assault offense statute to them, meaning assaulting them would now carry the same penalties as assaulting traditional law enforcement. The bill amends Tennessee Code § 39-13-116 to explicitly list these roles in the definition, removing ambiguity about their coverage. It takes effect on July 1, 2025, and does not alter existing penalties for assault.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands assault law protections to include correctional and probation officers, strengthening legal safeguards for public safety personnel under criminal justice framework.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Probation & Parole

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 4, 2025

SB 1303: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense of intentionally impeding or obstructing a member of the division of protective services from ingress to, egress from, or movement about a location where the member is responsible for a person protected by the division of protective services; creates the offense of intentionally refusing to vacate an area where access has been restricted by a member of the division of protective services for the purpose of maintaining the safety or security of the person being protected. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 39.

SB 1303 creates two new criminal offenses in Tennessee law. It makes it illegal to intentionally block or obstruct a protective services officer (including highway patrol or law enforcement supporting them) when they need to access a location to protect a person under their care. It also prohibits refusing to leave an area where access has been restricted by such an officer to ensure the safety of the person being protected. Violations are punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class E felony if the person obstructing posed a threat to the protected individual. This law directly affects anyone who interferes with protective services officers during their duties.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates offenses to prevent obstruction of protective services officers, strengthening law enforcement effectiveness in criminal justice operations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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