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HB0486 • 2026

Public Defenders

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4, relative to district public defenders.

Active

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

Sponsor
Farmer, Gardenhire
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/21/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on funding or impact on people needing free legal representation.

Creating More Public Defender Jobs

This bill creates five new assistant district public defender positions in Tennessee starting on July 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds five more jobs for assistant district public defenders.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Assistant district public defenders who will have more job opportunities.

Terms To Know

Public Defender
A lawyer paid by the government to represent people who cannot afford their own lawyer.
District Public Defenders
Public defenders who work in specific areas of a state, like counties or regions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how these new positions will be funded.
  • It is unclear if this change will help all people needing free legal representation.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0486

Plain English: The amendment adds five new assistant district public defender positions starting July 1, 2025.

  • Adds five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0445

Plain English: The amendment adds five new assistant district public defender positions starting July 1, 2025.

  • Adds five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 485

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 485

  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. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  11. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0388)

  12. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  13. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  15. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  16. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0380)

  19. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2025

  21. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  22. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  23. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  24. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  25. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  27. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  28. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  29. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  30. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  32. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  33. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  37. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  39. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  40. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  41. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  43. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  44. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  46. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  47. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  48. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  49. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  50. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  51. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  52. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  53. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  54. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  55. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  56. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  57. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  58. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 21, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 486, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to
create five additional assistant district public defender positions
effective Jul
y 1, 2025
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 445
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 486
By Farmer

HB0486
001859
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4, relative to
district public defenders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-14-204, is amended by deleting
"ten (10) days" and substituting "ten (10) business days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.