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HB0787 • 2026

DUI Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Moody, Rose
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 451
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details about the organizational and procedural requirements of the study committee beyond its composition and reporting deadline.

Creating a Study Committee for DUI License Reinstatement

This bill creates a study committee to examine the feasibility of a 'distance to drive' program that would help people get their driver's licenses back after suspension or revocation due to criminal offenses.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a five-member study committee to investigate the possibility of implementing a 'distance to drive' program for reinstating suspended or revoked driver’s licenses based on meeting court-set objectives and completing safety department requirements.
  • Specifies that the study committee will include members from both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly, a general sessions judge appointed by the speaker of the house, a law enforcement officer appointed by the speaker of the senate, and a public member with criminal justice experience appointed by the governor.
  • Requires the study committee to submit a report to the Tennessee General Assembly by July 1, 2026, after which the committee will no longer exist.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have had their driver's licenses suspended or revoked due to criminal offenses
  • The members of the study committee appointed by various officials

Terms To Know

Distance to drive program
A proposed program that would help people get their driver’s licenses back after suspension or revocation based on meeting certain requirements.
Study committee
A group of individuals appointed to investigate and report on the feasibility of a 'distance to drive' program for license reinstatement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what actions will be taken based on the study committee's findings.
  • It is unclear how many people would benefit from such a program if it were implemented.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0787

Plain English: The amendment creates a study committee to examine the feasibility of implementing a 'distance to drive' program for reinstating suspended or revoked driver licenses based on meeting court-set objectives and completing requirements set by the Department of Safety.

  • Establishes a five-member study committee to assess the creation of a 'distance to drive' program that would help criminal defendants regain their driving privileges under certain conditions.
  • Specifies that the committee will review data, determine potential benefits for Tennessee's justice system, and gather best practices from other treatment court programs.
  • Requires the committee to compile a report with findings and recommendations by July 1, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify how the 'distance to drive' program would operate in detail or what specific requirements it might entail for criminal defendants.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0932

Plain English: The amendment creates a study committee to examine the feasibility of implementing a 'distance to drive' program for reinstating suspended or revoked driver licenses based on meeting court-set objectives and completing requirements set by the Department of Safety.

  • Establishes a five-member study committee to assess the creation of a 'distance to drive' program that would help criminal defendants regain their driving privileges.
  • Specifies the composition of the committee, including members from both chambers of the legislature, judiciary, law enforcement, and public experts in criminal justice.
  • Outlines the responsibilities of the committee, such as reviewing data on license suspensions or revocations for criminal justice-involved individuals and studying best practices from other treatment court programs.
  • The amendment does not specify how the 'distance to drive' program would work in detail.
  • It is unclear what specific benefits the committee aims to achieve with this program beyond reducing burdens on various state agencies.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 451

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025, 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 451

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0126)

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  22. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0294)

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/10/2025

  25. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  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. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 10, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 932, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to create a five-member
distance to drive pro
gram study committee to help determine the feasibility of implementing a distance to drive program that would facilitate reinstatement of suspended and revoked driver licenses for criminal defendants based on meeting the objectives set by the court and co
m
pleting all the requirements set by the department of safety. The study committee is composed of the following

members:

(1) A member of the house of representatives, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(2) A member of the
senate, to be appointed by the speaker of the senate;

(3) A general sessions judge, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(4) A law enforcement officer, to be appointed by the speaker of the senate; and

(5) A public member
with experience or knowledge in criminal justice, to be appointed by the governor.

The full text of this amendment specifies various organizational and procedural requirements for the study committee.

The study committee
will conduct its study and subm
it a report
to the general assembly, no later than July 1, 2026, at which time the study committee ceases to exist.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 932
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 787
By Moody

HB0787
002984
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16;
Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal
justice.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-429, is amended by deleting
the language "December 1" and substituting "November 1".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.