Courts, Juvenile

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 15, relative to underage persons.

Children Crime Parental Rights

Active

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

Sponsor: Moody, Rose
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Underage Tobacco Violations

This bill changes how courts can punish people under 21 who break laws about buying or using tobacco products by adding new options like community service and court programs.

What This Bill Does

Changes the law to allow judges to order young people who break rules about tobacco to do community service for up to 50 hours.
Allows judges to require young offenders to complete a special program from the court that teaches them about the dangers of smoking.
For first-time violators, allows judges to put young people on an informal adjustment for 90 days instead of other punishments.
For repeat violators, lets judges place young people on probation for up to six months in addition to community service and a special court program.

Who It Names or Affects

People under the age of 21 who break laws about buying or using tobacco products.

Terms To Know

informal adjustment: A less formal way for judges to handle minor offenses without a full court trial.
probation: When someone is allowed to stay out of jail but must follow certain rules set by the judge.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify who will pay for the new programs or how they will be funded.
It's unclear if this law will change how courts handle repeat offenders beyond probation and community service requirements.

Amendments

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

HA0765

Amendment 1-0 to HB1679

Plain English: The amendment changes how courts can punish underage people who break laws about tobacco and vapor products by adding new ways to handle these violations.

Courts may now require community service up to 50 hours, successful completion of a court program, or payment of a civil penalty between $10 and $50 for those aged 18-20. For minors, the penalty can be charged against their parent, guardian, or custodian.
For repeat offenders under 21 years old, courts may place them on probation for up to six months along with community service and a court program focusing on tobacco dangers.

The amendment text does not specify all details about the court programs mentioned or how exactly penalties are enforced against parents or guardians.

HA1026

Amendment 2-0 to HB1679

Plain English: The amendment changes how courts can punish people who break rules about underage tobacco use by adding new options for fines and community service.

Courts may now require a person aged 18 to 20 years old, or the parent of a minor, to pay a fine between $10 and $50 for breaking the law.
For minors who break the law again, courts can put them on probation for up to six months along with community service and a court program about tobacco dangers.

The amendment removes an existing subsection (c) of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-17-1505 but does not provide the content that was removed, so we do not know what changes exactly.
It is unclear from the text how courts will decide which punishment to give.

SA0712

Amendment 1-0 to SB1740

Plain English: The amendment changes how courts can punish underage people who break laws about tobacco and vapor products by adding new ways to handle these violations.

Courts may now place a youth on an informal adjustment for ninety days if they violate the law for the first time.
For repeat offenders, courts can put them on probation for up to six months in addition to requiring community service and completing a court program about tobacco dangers.

The amendment text does not specify all details of how these new punishments will be implemented or enforced.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA1026)
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 1
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1026)
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0765)
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 4/9/2026
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0712)
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/11/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1740, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that any probation ordered as described in the bill summary must not be under the supervision of the department of children's services.

ON APRIL 9, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1740 FOR HOUSE BILL 1679, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1740, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 clarifies that the authorization for a court to place a violator on an informal adjustment or probation applies to "minors" rather than "youths".

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #2.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1740
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 1679
By Moody
HB1679
011296
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 17, Part 15, relative to underage persons.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1505, is amended by deleting
subsection (c) and substituting:
(c) For a violation of this section, the general sessions or juvenile court may:
(1) Require completion of community service work not to exceed fifty (50)
hours;
(2) Require successful completion of a prescribed court program;
(3) Impose a civil penalty of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more
than fifty dollars ($50.00), which may be charged against a person who is at least
eighteen (18) years of age but less than twenty-one (21) years of age, or, in the
case of a minor, against a parent, guardian, or custodian; or
(4)
(A) Place the youth on an informal adjustment for a period of
ninety (90) days; or
(B) For a second or subsequent violation, place the youth on
probation for up to six (6) months in addition to requiring community
service and the successful completion of a prescribed court program
focusing on the dangers of tobacco and vapor products.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.