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

HB1798 • 2026

Garnishments and Executions

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

Labor
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 and text do not provide information on whether it affects courts or law enforcement agencies beyond the sheriff's role.

Changing Fees for Garnishments

This bill allows people who serve garnishment orders to ask for payment before they do their job.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the person serving a garnishment order to demand that the fee be paid in advance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who serve garnishment orders

Terms To Know

garnishment
A legal process where a part of someone's wages or money is taken by the court to pay off a debt.
sheriff
An elected official who serves as an officer of the court and enforces laws in their county.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not change the current fee amount for garnishments.
  • It only affects how fees are collected, not other aspects like the amount taken from wages or bank accounts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  17. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  18. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  22. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  24. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  25. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 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.