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HB0045 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to child abuse.

Children Crime
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
McCalmon, Johnson
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and text do not provide details on how the increased penalties will be enforced or monitored.

Increasing Penalties for Child Abuse

This bill changes how Tennessee punishes people who abuse children aged 9 to 17 by increasing the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes child abuse involving children aged 9 to 17 from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony if someone knowingly treats a child in such a manner as to inflict injury.
  • Updates laws in Title 36, Title 37, Title 39 and Title 40 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • Requires this new law to start on July 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who abuse children aged 9 to 17
  • Law enforcement agencies that handle child abuse cases

Terms To Know

Class A misdemeanor
A type of crime that is less serious than a felony but more serious than other types of misdemeanors.
Class E felony
The least severe type of felony, which is still more serious than a misdemeanor.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the increased penalties will be enforced or monitored.
  • Does not address child abuse cases involving children under age 9 or over age 17.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 472

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 472

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 4/21/2025

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 1

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/14/2025

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  21. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  23. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/8/2025

  24. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  26. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  28. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  29. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  30. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  33. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  35. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/5/2025

  36. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  37. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  38. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  39. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  41. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  42. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  43. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  45. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  46. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  47. 2024-12-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 693
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 45
By McCalmon

HB0045
000721
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36;
Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to child
abuse.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-15-401(a), is amended by
deleting "Class A misdemeanor" and substituting "Class E felony".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July, 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to offenses committed on or after such date.