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HB0989 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal liability.

Crime Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Eldridge, Bowling
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on what happens after the report is made.

Reporting on Employer Punishment for Jury Duty

This bill requires Tennessee's administrative office of the courts to report how many employers were found guilty of firing employees because those employees served on juries from January 1, 1990, until January 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the administrative office of the courts to send a report by October 1, 2025.
  • The report must count how many employers were found guilty for firing workers who did jury duty as described in Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-16-514.
  • Counts these cases from January 1, 1990, until January 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Administrative office of the courts
  • Speakers of the Senate and House of Representatives

Terms To Know

Class A misdemeanor
A type of crime that is less serious than a felony but more serious than other types of misdemeanors.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen after the report is made.
  • It only covers cases from January 1, 1990, to January 1, 2025.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB1035

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to clarify that threatening to use deadly force is not considered using deadly force unless certain conditions are met.

  • Threatening to use deadly force will no longer be treated as actually using deadly force, except when the arrest involves a crime committed or threatened against the person making the arrest or a violent crime witnessed by that person.
  • The definition of 'violent crime' is expanded to include specific offenses such as arson, burglary, carjacking, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, sexual battery, rape, and human trafficking.
  • The amendment text does not specify the exact penalties or consequences for threatening deadly force under these new conditions.
  • It is unclear how this change will be enforced in practice by law enforcement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

  3. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  4. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  5. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  9. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  11. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  12. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  13. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  14. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  15. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  18. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  19. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1035
By Bowling

HOUSE BILL 989
By Eldridge

HB0989
003149
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to criminal liability.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. By October 1, 2025, the administrative office of the courts shall report to
the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives the number of
persons found guilty of the Class A misdemeanor of, as an employer, dismissing from
employment an employee because of jury service by that employee as described in Tennessee
Code Annotated, Section 39-16-514, from January 1, 1990, until January 1, 2025.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.