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HB1798 • 2026

Garnishments and Executions

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 21, Part 9, relative to fees for services rendered.

Active

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

Sponsor
McCalmon, Johnson
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Comp. SB subst.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the current fee amount or how it will affect individuals unable to pay in advance.

Garnishments and Fees

This bill allows sheriffs or other authorized people to demand payment before serving garnishment papers.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizes the sheriff or person authorized by law to serve garnishments to demand that the fee for performing service of a garnishment be paid in advance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Sheriffs and other people authorized by law to serve garnishments

Terms To Know

Garnishment
A legal process where part of someone's salary is sent directly to the person they owe money to, instead of going to them.
Execution
An order from a court that allows someone to take action to collect money owed as a result of a judgment.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not change the amount of the fee, only when it can be demanded.
  • It is unclear how this will affect people who cannot afford to pay the fee in advance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  3. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  5. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 1, PNV 10

  8. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  9. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/30/2026

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  11. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  14. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  19. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  23. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  25. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  26. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  28. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  29. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that the fee for collecting
money to satisfy a judgment, whether by execution, fieri facias, garnishment
,
or other process, in civil cases each time collection is attempted
is $40. For the purpose of the payment of such fee for garnishments, present law provides that all garnishments are
deemed to be original garnishments
,
and the sheriff or other person authorized by law to serve garnishments
is
entitled to the fee for each such garnishment served.

This bill authorizes the
sheriff or person authorized by law to serve garnishments
to
demand that the fee for performing service of the garnishment be paid in advance of such performance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1637
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 1798
By McCalmon
HB1798
010409
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 21, Part 9, relative to fees for services
rendered.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-21-901(a)(2)(B)(ii), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(ii) For purposes of the payment of fees for garnishments as provided in this
subdivision (a)(2)(B), all garnishments are deemed to be original garnishments and the
sheriff or other person authorized by law to serve garnishments is entitled to the fee
provided for in this subdivision (a)(2)(B) for each such garnishment served. The sheriff
or other authorized person may demand that the fee for performing service of the
garnishment be paid in advance of such performance.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.