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HB1233 • 2026

Bail, Bail Bonds

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 11, relative to bail.

Active

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

Sponsor
Gillespie, Roberts
Last action
2026-03-18
Official status
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or technological accessibility for all bondsmen.

Changes to Bail Receipts

This bill allows bail bondsmen in Tennessee to provide and keep digital receipts for money or other items given as part of a bail agreement.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows bail bondsmen to give out written or digital receipts when they receive money or other things from someone who is paying bail.
  • Requires bail bondsmen to keep duplicate copies of these receipts in either written or digital form.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Bail bondsmen who work in Tennessee
  • People who pay bail using a bondsman

Terms To Know

bail bondsman
A person or company that helps someone post bail by promising the court they will pay if the person does not show up for their trial.
receipt
A piece of paper or digital document showing proof that money or something else has been given to a bondsman as part of a bail agreement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the new rules will be enforced.
  • It is unclear if all bondsmen will have access to technology for digital receipts.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB1396

Plain English: The amendment changes the requirements for someone who wants to own a bonding company that writes bail bonds in Tennessee.

  • It removes the current rules about owning a bonding company and replaces them with new ones.
  • Now, an owner must either be a person with two years of full-time experience writing bail as an agent or a corporation owned by an insurer authorized to write surety in Tennessee.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how the changes will affect existing bonding companies.
  • It is unclear what specific qualifications are needed for being a 'qualified agent'.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

  3. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  4. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  8. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  10. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  12. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/4/2026

  14. 2026-01-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  15. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 1/28/2026

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  17. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  18. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  19. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  20. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  21. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  22. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  25. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  26. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  31. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  33. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1396
By Roberts

HOUSE BILL 1233
By Gillespie

HB1233
003355
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
Chapter 11, relative to bail.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-304(a), is amended by
deleting the language “furnish a receipt” and substituting "furnish a written or digital receipt".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-304(a), is amended by
deleting the language “keep a duplicate copy of every receipt” and substituting "keep a duplicate
written or digital copy of every receipt".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.