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HB1268 • 2026

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.

Crime Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Scarbrough, Taylor
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify consequences for late submissions or involvement of the assistant director in report submission.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Reporting Requirements

This bill changes when and how the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reports its narcotics investigations to certain committees in the state legislature.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the deadline for submitting annual written reports about narcotics investigations from 'each year' to February 15 each year.
  • Updates the name of the committee receiving these reports from 'criminal justice committee of the house of representatives' to 'committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over criminal justice matters'.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
  • Committees in the state legislature responsible for criminal justice matters.

Terms To Know

Narcotics investigations
Investigations into illegal drug activities and related crimes.
Assistant director
A high-ranking official who helps manage a department or division within an organization.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the report is submitted late.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect the Bureau of Investigation's operations beyond reporting requirements.
  • The bill text does not explicitly mention requiring the assistant director to be included in submitting these reports.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1268

Plain English: The amendment adds two new specialized criminal courts in the thirtieth judicial district of Tennessee to handle violent crime cases more efficiently.

  • Adds two additional criminal courts designated as 'violent criminal courts' in the thirtieth judicial district starting September 1, 2026.
  • Establishes a process for appointing judges to these new courts until August 2028 when voters will elect permanent judges for an eight-year term.
  • The exact details of how the new courts will operate and their long-term impact are not specified in this amendment text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0846

Plain English: The amendment creates two new violent criminal courts in the thirtieth judicial district of Tennessee starting September 1, 2026, to handle an increase in violent crimes and improve case management efficiency.

  • Adds two additional criminal courts designated as 'violent criminal courts' in the thirtieth judicial district starting September 1, 2026.
  • Establishes a process for appointing judges to these new courts until August 2028 when voters will elect permanent judges for an eight-year term.
  • Directs the presiding judge to transfer cases involving specific violent crimes to these new courts.
  • The amendment does not specify all details about how the new courts will operate or be funded beyond their creation and initial staffing.
Amendment 2-0 to SB0846

Plain English: The amendment creates an additional violent criminal court and chancery court in the thirtieth judicial district of Tennessee, with specific terms for appointed judges until elections are held.

  • Creates one additional violent criminal court and one additional chancery court in the thirtieth judicial district starting September 1, 2026.
  • Appoints a person to serve as judge of each new court from September 1, 2026, until September 1, 2028.
  • Holds elections for judges and chancellors at the August 2028 general election with terms ending in 2030.
  • The amendment text does not specify how cases will be transferred to the violent criminal court after September 1, 2026.
  • Details about qualifications and selection criteria for judges are not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  4. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  5. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/7/2026

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/1/2026

  12. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0

  13. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  14. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  24. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  25. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  37. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  38. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 846
By Harshbarger

HOUSE BILL 1268
By Scarbrough

HB1268
002848
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8;
Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title
40; Title 41 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-6-207, is amended by deleting
"each year" and substituting "by February 15 of each year" and by deleting "criminal justice
committee of the house of representatives" and substituting "committee of the house of
representatives with jurisdiction over criminal justice matters".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.