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HB1450 • 2026

Bail, Bail Bonds

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to bail.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Baum, Taylor
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about changing court rules regarding proving the source of bonds or premiums, only expanding the requirement for proposed sureties.

Changes to Bail Rules in Tennessee

This bill changes how entities can secure a defendant's release and limits who can post bond for defendants.

What This Bill Does

  • It stops any group or company from securing a defendant’s release unless they are allowed by the bail laws.
  • It requires certain groups to get approval before posting bond for more than three defendants in a year, or for one defendant more than once in a year.
  • It defines 'family' as people related within the third degree of blood or marriage and those living together in the same household.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved with bail bonds, including defendants, their families, employers, legal guardians, and professional bondsmen.
  • Courts handling criminal cases.

Terms To Know

Family
Includes relatives within the third degree of blood or marriage and those living in the same household.
Legal Guardian
A person legally responsible for a minor's care, supervision, and control.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many times certain entities can post bond.
  • It is unclear what the exact financial impact will be on local governments.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1450

Plain English: The amendment changes how entities can secure a defendant's release by setting limits on who can post bail and how much they can post.

  • Defines 'family' to include relatives within three degrees of blood or marriage, and anyone living in the same household as the defendant.
  • Limits entities other than family members, legal guardians, employers, or professional bondsmen from securing a defendant's release without specific approval.
  • Restricts non-approved entities from posting bail more than once per year for any single defendant and limits the amount to $5,000 per defendant annually.
  • The amendment does not specify how 'approval' is granted or what criteria are used for approval.
  • It's unclear if there will be exceptions or additional regulations beyond those stated in the amendment.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  3. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to S. Cal Comm

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  10. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  11. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/11/2026

  12. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  14. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  15. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/4/2026

  16. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/2/2026

  17. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  18. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  20. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  21. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

  22. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  23. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  24. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  25. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  26. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  27. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  28. 2025-11-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits an entity,
however organized,
from
secur
ing
the release of a defendant unless specifically authorized under
bail laws
.

An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the defendant's legal guardian, the defendant's employer, or a professional bondsman, seeking to secure the release of a defendant must be approved
with regard to sufficiency of sureties
for each bond the entity seeks to secure.
However, such an
entity
is prohibited from
post
ing
security for more
than
three
defendants in any calendar year, or for a single defendant more than
one
time per calendar year.

As used above, "family" includes
(
i
)
a
ny person related to such person within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity or

(
ii
)
a
ny person living in the same household as such person
.

EQUITY POWERS OF COURT

Present law authorizes a
ny criminal court or general sessions court
to
conduct such hearings and enter such orders, injunctions, restraining orders, prohibitions, or issue any extraordinary process for the purpose of ensuring that any defendant does not use any proceeds directly or indirectly derived from a criminal offense
for the purpose of securing an appearance bond or to pay the premium for the bond.

Present law authorizes a
ny court
to
require the defendant or bonding agent to prove in open court the source of such bond or premium before accepting the bond, and the burden of proof
is
upon the party seeking the approval or acceptance of the bond.
This bill revises this provision to expand the persons required to provide such proof from "a defendant or bonding agent" to, instead, "a defendant or proposed surety".

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1708
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 1450
By Baum
HB1450
009770
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 40, relative to bail.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 11, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Family," when used with reference to a person, includes:
(A) Any person related to such person within the third degree of
consanguinity or affinity; or
(B) Any person living in the same household as such person; and
(2) "Legal guardian" means a person having the legal authority to provide
for the care, supervision, and control of a minor child as established by law or
court order.
(b) An entity, however organized, shall not secure the release of a defendant
unless specifically authorized under this chapter.
(c) An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the
defendant's legal guardian, the defendant's employer, or a professional bondsman
authorized under § 40-11-124, seeking to secure the release of a defendant must be
approved in accordance with § 40-11-123 for each bond the entity seeks to secure.
(d) An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the
defendant's legal guardian, the defendant's employer, or a professional bondsman
authorized under § 40-11-124, shall not post security for more than three (3) defendants
in any calendar year, or for a single defendant more than one (1) time per calendar year.

- 2 - 009770

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-11-715, is amended by deleting
"bonding agent" and substituting "proposed surety".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.