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HB1140 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 55 and Title 62, relative to catalytic converters.

Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Boyd, Bailey
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 439
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included incorrect information about the punishment under the old law.

Catalytic Converter Theft Law

This law changes how Tennessee punishes people who take or keep catalytic converters without permission by increasing penalties from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes possession of a used, detached catalytic converter by an unauthorized person from a Class A misdemeanor punishable only by fine to a Class E felony with imprisonment up to 11 months and 29 days or a fine not more than $2,500, or both.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who take or keep catalytic converters without permission
  • Law enforcement agencies and courts

Terms To Know

Class E felony
A serious crime that can lead to jail time, fines, or both.
Catalytic converter
A part of a car's exhaust system that reduces harmful emissions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how it will be enforced.
  • It is unclear what happens to existing cases under the old law before July 1, 2025.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1140

Plain English: The amendment removes language from Tennessee law that limited punishment for certain offenses involving catalytic converters to fines only.

  • Removes the phrase ', punishable only by fine' from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-9-115(h)(2).
  • The amendment text does not specify which offenses are affected beyond removing the limitation on punishment.
  • It is unclear what specific penalties will be allowed instead of fines only.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0769

Plain English: The amendment removes language from Tennessee law that limited punishment for certain offenses involving catalytic converters to fines only.

  • Removes the phrase ', punishable only by fine' from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-9-115(h)(2).
  • The amendment text does not specify which offenses are affected beyond removing the limitation on punishment.
  • It is unclear what specific penalties will be allowed instead of fines.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 439

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 439

  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. 2025-04-25 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

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 3, PNV 1

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0041)

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  22. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0050)

  26. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/10/2025

  27. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/5/2025

  32. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  34. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, 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

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor, punishable only by a fine, who possesses a used, detached catalytic converter that the person did not have authorization to possess. This bill raises such offense to a Class E felony, pun
ishable 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.

ON MARCH 10, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 769, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bil
l to, instead, make the
offense of possession of a used, detached catalytic converter by an unauthorized person

punishable
by a term of imprisonment
not greater than 11 months,

29 days
;
a fine not to exceed

$2,500
;
or both,
instead of only subject to a fin
e.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 769
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1140
By Boyd

HB1140
001419
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38;
Title 39; Title 55 and Title 62, relative to catalytic
converters.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-9-115(h)(2), is amended by
deleting "Class A misdemeanor, punishable only by fine" and substituting "Class E felony".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.