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HB0785 • 2026

Bail, Bail Bonds

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 13; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 8, relative to bail bonds.

Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Howell, Haile
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 396
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify what happens if a report is not submitted on time, nor does it explicitly state that the Department of Revenue can use the reports for audits. However, given the context, it's reasonable to infer that the department may use them for tax-related purposes.

Bail Bond Reporting Requirements

This law requires professional bondsmen and court clerks who admit defendants to bail to file quarterly reports with the Department of Revenue, detailing their activities related to bail bonds.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires licensed professional bondsmen in Tennessee to submit a report every quarter starting October 25, 2025, listing how many and what amount of bonds they issued in each county.
  • Requires court clerks who admit defendants to bail to also file quarterly reports detailing the number and total value of bonds accepted from bondsmen.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Professional bondsmen licensed in Tennessee
  • Court clerks admitting defendants to bail

Terms To Know

Quarterly report
A document that must be filed every three months.
Department of Revenue
The state agency responsible for collecting taxes and managing financial matters.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a report is not submitted on time.
  • Applies only to professional bondsmen licensed in Tennessee and court clerks admitting defendants to bail.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0785

Plain English: The amendment requires professional bondsmen and court clerks to file quarterly reports with the department of revenue starting October 25, 2025.

  • Professional bondsmen must submit quarterly reports detailing the number and total amount of bonds issued in each county by January 25th, April 25th, July 25th, and October 25th every year.
  • Court clerks who admit defendants to bail must also file quarterly reports with the department of revenue about the number and total amount of bonds accepted from bondsmen on the same dates.
  • The department of revenue can use these reports for audits related to the bail bonding tax.
  • The amendment does not specify penalties for failing to submit a report, but it clarifies that this failure is not a criminal offense.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1237

Plain English: The amendment requires professional bondsmen and court clerks to file quarterly reports with the department of revenue starting October 25, 2025.

  • Professional bondsmen must submit quarterly reports detailing the number and total amount of bonds issued in each county by January 25th, April 25th, July 25th, and October 25th every year starting from October 25, 2025.
  • Court clerks who admit defendants to bail must also submit quarterly reports detailing the number and total amount of bonds accepted from bondsmen by January 25th, April 25th, July 25th, and October 25th every year starting from October 25, 2025.
  • The department of revenue can use these reports to conduct audits on the bail bonding tax.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if bondsmen or court clerks fail to submit their quarterly reports as required.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 396

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 396

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 30, Nays 1 (Amendment 1 - HA0362)

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/17/2025

  11. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 4

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0362)

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  15. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 1

  25. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0144)

  26. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  33. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  35. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  36. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1237, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Requires, beginning October 25, 2025, every professional bondsman licensed to do business in this state to file a quarterly report, not later than January 25, April 25, July 25, and October 25 of each year, with the department of revenue detailing the total number of bonds issued by the bondsman in the preceding quarter, the number of bonds issued in each county in which the bondsman operated, and the total amount of the bondsman's liability in each county.



Requires, beginning October 25, 2025, each clerk of a court that admits defendants to bail to file a quarterly report, not later than January 25, April 25, July 25, and October 25 of each year, with the department of revenue detailing the total number of bonds accepted by the clerk from bondsmen and the total amount of the bonds accepted from bondsmen in the preceding quarter.



Authorizes the department of revenue to use the reports received from the bondsmen and court clerks to complete audits on the bail bonding tax.

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1237 FOR HOUSE BILL 785, ADOPTED AMENDMENT
#1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1237, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that
the failure to submit a report required by
the bill
is not a criminal offense.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1237
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 785
By Howell

HB0785
002447
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3, Part 13; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title
56; Title 62 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 8, relative
to bail bonds.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-122(2), is amended by
deleting "two (2) sufficient sureties " and substituting "one (1) sufficient surety".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to bail bonds executed on or after that date.