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HB0729 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to obstruction of a passageway.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Barrett, Taylor
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on enforcement or funding details.

Tennessee Law on Blocking Passageways

This bill changes the punishment for blocking places like streets or sidewalks from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the penalty for obstructing passageways used by people and vehicles from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony.
  • Increases the penalty to a Class D felony if someone intentionally blocks highways, streets, or places meant for vehicle passage.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who block passageways in Tennessee
  • Law enforcement and courts dealing with such cases

Terms To Know

Class A misdemeanor
A crime that can be punished by up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500.
Class E felony
A serious crime that can result in imprisonment for 1-6 years and a maximum fine of $3,000.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how it will be enforced or funded.
  • It is unclear if the changes will reduce incidents of obstruction.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0729

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to make intentionally obstructing a highway, street, or other vehicle passage area a more serious crime.

  • Adds that if someone blocks a road or similar place on purpose, they can be charged with a Class D felony instead of the usual misdemeanor.
  • Allows for prosecution under either subdivision (c)(3) or (c)(4) if both conditions are met.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if only one condition is met, leaving some uncertainty about how it will be applied in practice.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0672

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to make intentionally obstructing a highway, street, or other vehicle passage area a more serious crime.

  • Adds that if someone blocks a road or similar place on purpose, they can be charged with a Class D felony instead of the usual misdemeanor.
  • Allows for prosecution under either subdivision (c)(3) or (c)(4) if both conditions are met.
  • The exact penalties and consequences for a Class D felony are not specified in this amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  6. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  7. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  25. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/25

  30. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  31. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  33. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/25/2025

  34. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2/25/2025

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  37. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/18/2025

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  43. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor withdrawn.

  44. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  45. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a person commi
ts a Class A misdemeanor if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, or hallway to which the public, or a substantial portion of the public, has access; or any other place

used for the passage of persons, vehicles or conveyances, whether the obstruction arises from the person's acts alone or from the person's acts and the acts of others. A Class A misdemeanor is
generally
punishable by a
sentence
of imprisonment
not greater
than
11 months, 29 days, a maximum fine of $2,500, or both.

This bill generally raises such offense to a Class E felony, punishable by a sentence of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than six years and a potential fine not to exceed $3,000
. However, this bill increases the classification to a Class D felony, punishable by a sentence of imprisonment not less than two years but not more than 12 years and a potential fine not to exceed $5,000, if a defendant intentionally obstructs a highway,
street, or other place used for the passage or vehicles or conveyances.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 672
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 729
By Barrett
HB0729
000824
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to obstruction of a passageway.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-307(c), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (c)(2), a violation of subdivision (a)(1) is a
Class E felony.
(2) A violation of subdivision (a)(1), in which the defendant intentionally obstructs
a highway, street, or other place used for the passage of vehicles or conveyances is a
Class D felony.
(3) A violation of subdivision (a)(2) is a Class C misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.