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HB1257 • 2026

Expunction

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 16; Title 38; Title 40; Title 55 and Title 57, relative to expunction.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Doggett, Roberts
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 268
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how the reorganization of statutes will affect public access to expunction rules beyond making them available online.

Expunction Law Changes

This law changes how certain criminal records can be erased in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

  • Reorganizes and clarifies existing statutes about expunction to make them easier to find online.
  • Specifies that facilitation, attempt, or solicitation of an offense eligible for expunction is also eligible.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want their criminal records erased in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Expunction
A process that allows someone's criminal record to be removed or erased.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact details of how the changes will work are not fully explained in this summary.
  • It is unclear when exactly these changes will start being used.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1257

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee's expunction laws to allow for easier removal and destruction of public records under certain conditions.

  • Expands eligibility for expunction to include cases where a person was arrested due to mistaken identity, allowing the court to expedite the process if evidence supports it.
  • Adds provisions for expunction when a person is charged with protesting or challenging laws that enforce racial segregation or discrimination, provided certain conditions are met.
  • Specifies that public records of individuals who successfully defend against an order of protection can be removed and destroyed.
  • The amendment text was truncated, so some details about the full scope of changes may not be included here.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1055

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee's expunction laws to allow for easier removal and destruction of public records under certain conditions.

  • Expands eligibility for expunction when a person was arrested due to mistaken identity, allowing the court to expedite the process.
  • Adds provisions for expunction if someone is charged with protesting or challenging racial segregation laws, provided they meet specific criteria including no convictions in over 37 years and completion of any supervision period.
  • Includes conditions under which public records must be removed and destroyed without cost to the person, such as when a charge was dismissed for reasons other than successful completion of pretrial diversion.
  • The amendment text is incomplete and does not provide full details on all changes, making it difficult to summarize every aspect accurately.
  • Some sections are truncated or unclear, limiting the ability to fully explain certain provisions.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 268

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 268

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 1

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0361)

  13. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0362)

  17. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  18. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  22. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0

  24. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  37. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED
AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1055, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to reorganize present statutes concerning expunction and specify that facilitation, attempt, or solicitation of an offense that is presently eligible for expunction is
also eligible for expunction.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1055
By Roberts

HOUSE BILL 1257
By Doggett

HB1257
002372
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7;
Title 16; Title 38; Title 40; Title 55 and Title 57,
relative to expunction.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-32-101(g)(7), is amended by
adding the following at the end of the subdivision:
The form must be available to the public on the website of the administrative office of the
courts.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.