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HB0527 • 2026

Probation and Parole

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 35, Part 5, relative to parole.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Scarbrough, Rose
Last action
2025-04-16
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changing Rules About Parole

This bill changes Tennessee's rules to allow the board of parole to deny parole based on the seriousness of any crime, not just specific serious crimes.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a rule that limits when the board of parole can deny parole to people serving time for certain serious crimes.
  • Allows the board of parole to use the seriousness of any crime as a reason to deny parole.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are in prison and might be eligible for parole.
  • The board of parole that decides whether someone can get out of prison early.

Terms To Know

Parole
When a person is allowed to leave prison before their full sentence is up, usually with conditions they must follow.
Board of Parole
The group that decides if someone can get parole and under what conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It's not clear how this change will affect the number of people who are granted or denied parole.
  • This bill has not yet been signed into law, so it may still be changed before becoming official.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Vetoed by Governor.

  2. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  3. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  4. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  5. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  6. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 75, Nays 16, PNV 0

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/16/2025

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  12. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  15. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 22, Nays 4, PNV 1

  21. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  24. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  28. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  37. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Under present law, an inmate who is convicted of a felony must not be granted parole if the board of parole finds that (i) there is a substantial risk that the incarcerated individual will not conform to the conditions of th
e release program and (ii) the release from custody would depreciate the seriousness of the crime that the individual was convicted of or promote disrespect for the law. Additionally the board's finding must not be the sole basis for denying parole unles
s
the individual is serving a sentence for certain crimes, including, but not limited to, first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated vehicular homicide. This bill, instead, authorizes the board's finding to be the so
l
e basis for denying parole even if the individual is serving a sentence for such crimes.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 455
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 527
By Scarbrough

HB0527
000381
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
Chapter 35, Part 5, relative to parole.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-35-503(b)(2)(A), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting the following:
(2)
(A) The release from custody at the time would depreciate the
seriousness of the crime of which the incarcerated individual stands convicted or
promote disrespect for the law;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.