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HB2079 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal offenses against property.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Littleton, Haile
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 on enforcement mechanisms or penalties.

Law to Punish Influencing Events in Prediction Markets

This law makes it a crime for someone to try and influence an event's outcome if they or another person will profit from a contract on a prediction market based on the event's result.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new Class E felony offense called 'influencing events in prediction markets'.
  • Defines what a 'prediction-market' is, which is where people trade contracts based on future events.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who use prediction markets and want to influence outcomes for financial gain.
  • Law enforcement agencies responsible for enforcing this new law.

Terms To Know

prediction-market
A place where people buy or sell contracts based on what might happen in the future.
Class E felony
The least serious type of major crime, but still very serious and punishable by prison time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how law enforcement will enforce this new rule.
  • Does not explain the exact penalties for breaking this law.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2079

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that makes it illegal to engage in certain activities on prediction markets for financial gain.

  • Adds a new section to Title 39 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, making it a crime to influence events through conduct intended to affect contracts traded on prediction markets for personal financial benefit.
  • Defines 'prediction-market' as a place where people trade contracts based on future events happening or not happening.
  • The amendment does not specify the penalties beyond classifying it as a Class E felony, which may require additional context to understand fully.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1992

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that makes it illegal to engage in certain activities on prediction markets for financial gain.

  • Adds a new section to Title 39 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, making it a crime to influence events through conduct intended to affect contracts traded on prediction markets for personal financial benefit.
  • Defines 'prediction-market' as a place where people trade contracts based on future events happening or not happening.
  • The amendment does not specify what kinds of activities are prohibited beyond influencing the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event.
  • It is unclear how this new law will be enforced and what specific behaviors it aims to prevent.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  3. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 1

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0828)

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026

  14. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 1

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee

  20. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  21. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  24. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  26. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  28. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1992, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Clarifies that a person commits
a
Class E felony offense if, for the purpose of deriving a pecuniary benefit, the person engages in conduct intended to influence the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event while the person, or another acting in active concert with the person, is a party to a contract traded on a prediction-market by which the person will derive such pecuniary benefit directly from the settlement of that contract based on the occurrence or a nonoccurrence of the event.



Clarifies that

a
"prediction-market
,
"
as used in the bill,
means a marketplace or exchange on which individuals trade contracts based on the occurrence or nonoccurrence of specified future events.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1992
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 2079
By Littleton
HB2079
011239
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to criminal offenses against property.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) A person commits an offense who engages in conduct intended to influence
the outcome of an event while the person or another is a party to a contract with a
prediction-market by which the person will benefit, directly or indirectly, from the
occurrence of the outcome.
(b) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class E felony.
(c) As used in this section, "prediction-market" means a platform on which
individuals trade contracts based on the outcome of unknown future events.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.