KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

HB1295 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29 and Title 39, relative to interference with property.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Powell, Yarbro
Last action
2026-02-04
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and official digest do not specify penalties, leaving room for interpretation.

Shielding Tennesseans from Oligarchic Power and Eliminating Lawless Obstruction of Necessities Act (STOP ELON Act)

This law makes it illegal to interfere with someone's receipt of a loan, grant, or financial assistance from government sources and punishes such interference as theft.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new crime for interfering with the lawful receipt of loans, grants, or financial aid from federal, state, or local governments.
  • Defines this interference as theft if it is done to deprive someone of these funds.
  • Allows victims to sue in court to get back any money they lost because of such interference.
  • Adds new sections to the Tennessee Code Annotated under Title 39.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who receive or are entitled to receive loans, grants, or financial assistance from government sources.
  • Individuals or entities that interfere with these funds.
  • Victims of such interference can sue in civil court.

Terms To Know

STOP ELON Act
The name given to the law that makes it illegal to interfere with someone's receipt of government loans, grants, or financial assistance.
theft
A crime where someone takes something that belongs to another person without permission.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for violating this law.
  • It is unclear how this act will be enforced or what resources will be allocated for enforcement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  2. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-01-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  5. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 1st Calendar of 2026

  7. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  8. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  9. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  12. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  13. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  22. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  23. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  24. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  26. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  27. 2025-02-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill enacts
the "Shielding Tennesseans from Oligarchic Power and Eliminati
ng Lawless Obstruction of Necessities Act (STOP ELON Act)
,
"
which establishes that a
person commits an offense who interferes with the receipt by an individual or entity of a loan, grant, or financial assistance that the individual or entity is lawfully en
titled to receive from the federal, state, or local government, with intent to deprive the individual or entity of the loan, grant, or financial assistance.
A violation of this bill is
punished as theft. The monetary value of property from multiple crimi
nal acts that are charged in a single violation must be aggregated to establish value under this
bill
.

In addition to
such
criminal penalty
,
a victim of an offense may bring a civil action to recover the funds that the victim did not receive because of th
e offense.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1128
By Yarbro

HOUSE BILL 1295
By Powell

HB1295
003298
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29
and Title 39, relative to interference with property.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Shielding Tennesseans from
Oligarchic Power and Eliminating Lawless Obstruction of Necessities Act (STOP ELON Act)."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) A person commits an offense who interferes with the receipt by an individual
or entity of a loan, grant, or financial assistance that the individual or entity is lawfully
entitled to receive from the federal, state, or local government, with intent to deprive the
individual or entity of the loan, grant, or financial assistance.
(b) A violation of subsection (a) is punished as theft pursuant to § 39-14-105.
The monetary value of property from multiple criminal acts that are charged in a single
violation of subsection (a) must be aggregated to establish value under this section.
(c) In addition to the criminal penalty in subsection (b), a victim of an offense
under this section may bring a civil action to recover the funds that the victim did not
receive because of the offense.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.