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HB1031 • 2026

Criminal Procedure

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to rights of citizenship.

Active

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

Sponsor
Dixie, Bailey
Last action
2025-02-10
Official status
P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on the extent of updates to other parts of Tennessee’s laws, only mentioning an exception for indigent petitioners.

Tennessee Citizenship Rights Restoration Act

This bill allows courts in Tennessee to waive costs for people who are very poor when they apply to restore their citizenship rights.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a law so that courts can decide not to make someone pay the costs of applying to restore their citizenship rights if they don't have enough money.
  • Applies this new rule to people who file petitions on or after the day the bill becomes a law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in Tennessee who want to restore their citizenship rights but cannot afford the costs of applying.
  • Courts that handle applications for restoring citizenship rights.

Terms To Know

indigent
A person who is very poor and does not have enough money to pay for something.
petitioner
The person who asks the court to do something, like restoring their citizenship rights.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It's unclear how many people will be affected by this change.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone is denied restoration of their citizenship rights because they are not considered indigent.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  2. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  4. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  5. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  6. 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 996
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1031
By Dixie

HB1031
002925
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40,
relative to rights of citizenship.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-104, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:
The petitioner shall pay the costs of this application unless the court finds proof
satisfactory that the petitioner is indigent.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to petitions filed on or after that date.