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HB0361 • 2026

Orders of Protection

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 18 and Title 36, relative to orders of protection.

Children
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Parkinson, Gardenhire
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 246
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date for when the bill takes effect is currently unknown from the provided information.

Expanding Court Jurisdiction for Orders of Protection

This bill changes Tennessee laws to allow certain criminal courts in Shelby County to hear cases about orders of protection when they are dealing with crimes involving domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of 'court' to include criminal courts that handle cases involving victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
  • Limits this change so it does not apply to child custody, visitation, or support matters.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking in Shelby County.
  • Courts that handle criminal cases involving victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

Terms To Know

Orders of Protection
Legal orders designed to protect people from abusive behavior by requiring the abuser to stay away and not contact the victim.
Jurisdiction
The authority a court has over certain types of cases or in specific areas.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This change does not apply to child custody, visitation, or support matters.
  • It is unclear how this will affect other counties outside of Shelby County.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0361

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain courts can handle orders of protection for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.

  • It allows circuit courts with criminal jurisdiction to hear cases involving domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking when dealing with orders of protection.
  • It clarifies that these circuit courts cannot handle matters related to child custody, visitation, or support.
  • The amendment text does not specify all the details about how these changes will be implemented in practice.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0406

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain courts can handle orders of protection for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.

  • It allows circuit courts with criminal jurisdiction to hear cases involving orders of protection for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
  • It clarifies that these circuit courts cannot handle matters related to child custody, visitation, or support.
  • The amendment text does not specify all the details about how these changes will be implemented in practice.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 246

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 246

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0376)

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  18. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  19. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  20. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  21. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/02/2025

  22. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0141)

  26. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/26/2025

  29. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  30. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  31. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/18/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  37. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  38. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/2025

  39. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  42. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  43. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  46. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  47. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  48. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 24, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 406, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
makes the following revisions:



For matters pertaining to domestic abuse, expands the present law definition of "court" to generally include
circuit court
s
exercising criminal jurisdiction when the court is hearing a criminal matter involving a domestic abuse victim, sexual assault victim, or stalking victim
.



However, provides that this
definition does not grant jurisdiction to the criminal court for matters relating to child custody, visitation, or support
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 406
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 361
By Parkinson

HB0361
001748
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16;
Title 18 and Title 36, relative to orders of
protection.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-601(3)(E), is amended by
deleting "or the general sessions criminal court" and substituting ", the general sessions criminal
court, or a criminal court when the criminal court is hearing a criminal matter involving a
domestic abuse victim, sexual assault victim, or stalking victim"; and by deleting "the general
sessions court" and substituting "the criminal court or the general sessions court".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.