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HB1962 • 2026

Sentencing

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 35, relative to probation eligibility.

Crime Firearms
Active

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

Sponsor
Farmer, 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 official source material does not provide specific details on how the change will impact state spending and resources for incarceration, leaving this as an open question.

Changes to Probation for Aggravated Assault with a Firearm

This bill adds a new rule in Tennessee law stating there is a presumption against probation for people convicted of aggravated assault if they used or displayed a firearm during the crime.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new rule that creates a rebuttable presumption that defendants convicted of aggravated assault are not favorable candidates for probation if the offense involved the use or display of a firearm.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are charged with aggravated assault in Tennessee
  • Courts and judges deciding on sentences for these crimes

Terms To Know

Probation
A sentence where a person found guilty of a crime is allowed to stay out of jail but must follow certain rules.
Aggravated assault
An attack on someone that causes serious harm or uses a dangerous weapon like a gun.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the person did not use or show a firearm during the aggravated assault.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect state spending and resources for incarceration.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  7. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  9. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  11. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  12. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  14. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  15. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  16. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  17. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  18. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  19. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1982
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 1962
By Farmer
HB1962
011654
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
Chapter 35, relative to probation eligibility.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-35-303(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1), there is a rebuttable presumption that a
defendant convicted of aggravated assault under § 39-13-102 is not a favorable
candidate for probation if the offense involved the use or display of a firearm during the
commission of the offense.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to offenses committed on or after that date.