HB0578 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to criminal offenses.

Children Crime Firearms

Active

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details about enforcement mechanisms or the impact on incarceration rates and costs, leaving these points uncertain.

Expanding Dangerous Felonies for Firearm Possession

This bill updates Tennessee law to include additional crimes as dangerous felonies when a person possesses a firearm or antique firearm during their commission.

What This Bill Does

Adds first degree and second degree murder, involuntary labor servitude, trafficking for forced labor or services, trafficking for commercial sex acts, aggravated human trafficking, robbery, aggravated robbery, especially aggravated robbery, carjacking, rape, aggravated rape, especially aggravated rape, rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, especially aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery by an authority figure, and aggravated stalking to the list of dangerous felonies.
Removes criminally negligent homicide and reckless homicide from the list of offenses added due to an amendment.
Updates the law to include lesser included offenses of dangerous felonies in indictments or presentments.

Who It Names or Affects

People who commit certain crimes with a firearm or antique firearm will be affected by this change.
Law enforcement and courts dealing with these cases will also be impacted.

Terms To Know

Dangerous felony: A serious crime that, if committed while in possession of a firearm or antique firearm, can lead to additional charges under Tennessee law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the changes will be enforced.
It is unclear what specific impacts this legislation will have on incarceration rates and costs.

Amendments

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

HA0193

Amendment 1-0 to HB0578

Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of 'dangerous felony' to include specific crimes and their lesser included offenses that are also dangerous felonies.

Adds a new list defining what constitutes a 'dangerous felony', including various violent crimes, sex offenses, kidnapping, trafficking, robbery, burglary, stalking, and drug-related felonies.
Specifies that if an indictment or presentment includes a dangerous felony, it also implies the inclusion of any lesser included offense that is itself a dangerous felony.

The exact implications for legal proceedings are not fully explained in the amendment text.

SA0394

Amendment 1-0 to SB1082

Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of 'dangerous felony' to include specific crimes and their lesser included offenses that are also dangerous felonies.

Adds definitions for various serious crimes under Tennessee law as part of what constitutes a 'dangerous felony'.
Includes attempts to commit these dangerous felonies in the list.

The amendment text does not specify how this change will be implemented or enforced.
It is unclear if there are any unintended consequences from including lesser included offenses that are also dangerous felonies.

Bill History

2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 492
2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 492
2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0394)
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 84, Nays 4, PNV 1
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0193)
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2025
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025
2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025
2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/26/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/19/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Under present law, it is an offense to possess a firearm or antique firearm with the intent to go armed during the commission of or attempt to commit certain dangerous felonies. As used in this provision, "dangerous felony" is defined
as any of the following:



Attempt to commit first degree murder;


Attempt to commit second degree murder;


Voluntary manslaughter;


Carjacking;


Especially aggravated kidnapping;


Aggravated kidnapping;


Especially aggravated burglary;


Aggravated burglary;


Especially aggravated stalking;


Aggravated stalking;


Initiating the process to manufacture methamphetamine;


A felony involving the sale, manufacture, distribution or possession with intent to sell, manufacture or distribute a controlled substance or controlled substance analogue; and


Any attempt to commit a dangerous felony.

This bill adds the following offenses to the list above:



First degree and second degree murder;


Criminally negligent homicide;


Reckless homicide;


Especially aggravated kidnapping;


Involuntary labor servitude;


Trafficking for forced labor or services;


Trafficking for commercial sex acts;


Aggravated human trafficking;


Robbery, aggravated robbery, and especially aggravated robbery;


Rape, aggravated rape, and especially aggravated rape;


Rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, and especially aggravated rape of a child;


Aggravated sexual battery;


Sexual battery by an authority figure; and


Aggravated stalking.

ON APRIL 21, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 57
8, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes c
riminally negligent homicide
and r
eckless homicide
from the list of offenses that this bill would add to the definition of "dangerous felony".

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1082
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 578
By Doggett

HB0578
000400
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 17, Part 13, relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1324, is amended by deleting
subdivision (i)(1) and substituting:
(1) "Dangerous felony" means:
(A) First degree murder, as defined in § 39-13-202;
(B) Second degree murder, as defined in § 39-13-210;
(C) Voluntary manslaughter, as defined in § 39-13-211;
(D) Criminally negligent homicide, as defined in § 39-13-212;
(E) Reckless homicide, as defined in § 39-13-215;
(F) Aggravated kidnapping, as defined in § 39-13-304;
(G) Especially aggravated kidnapping, as defined in § 39-13-305;
(H) Involuntary labor servitude, as defined in § 39-13-307;
(I) Trafficking for forced labor or services, as defined in § 39-13-308;
(J) Trafficking for commercial sex acts, as defined in § 39-13-309;
(K) Aggravated human trafficking, as defined in § 39-13-316;
(L) Robbery, as defined in § 39-13-401;
(M) Aggravated robbery, as defined in § 39-13-402;
(N) Especially aggravated robbery, as defined in § 39-13-403;
(O) Carjacking, as defined in § 39-13-404;
(P) Aggravated rape, as defined in § 39-13-502;

- 2 - 000400

(Q) Rape, as defined in § 39-13-503;
(R) Aggravated sexual battery, as defined in § 39-13-504;
(S) Rape of a child, as defined in § 39-13-522;
(T) Sexual battery by an authority figure, as defined in § 39-13-527;
(U) Aggravated rape of a child, as defined in § 39-13-531;
(V) Especially aggravated rape, as defined in § 39-13-534;
(W) Especially aggravated rape of a child, as defined in § 39-13-535;
(X) Aggravated burglary, as defined in § 39-13-1003;
(Y) Especially aggravated burglary, as defined in § 39-13-1004;
(Z) Aggravated stalking, as defined in § 39-17-315(c);
(AA) Especially aggravated stalking, as defined in § 39-17-315(d);
(BB) Initiating the process intended to manufacture methamphetamine,
as defined in § 39-17-435;
(CC) A felony involving the sale, manufacture, distribution, or possession
with intent to sell, manufacture, or distribute a controlled substance or controlled
substance analogue, as defined in part 4 of this chapter; or
(DD) Any attempt, as defined in § 39-12-101, to commit a dangerous
felony;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1324, is amended by
designating subsection (d) as subdivision (d)(1) and adding the following subdivision (d)(2):
(2) A lesser included offense of the predicate dangerous felony named in
the indictment or presentment is included in the indictment or presentment by
implication if the lesser included offense is a dangerous felony, as defined in
subdivision (i)(1).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.