HB2144 • 2026

Courts, Administrative Office of the

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16 and Title 40, relative to the Tennessee Court Appearance Reminder Program Act.

Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: Glynn, Akbari
Last action: 2026-03-23
Official status: Taken off notice for cal in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify how defendants will be informed about their ability to opt into electronic reminders.

Tennessee Court Appearance Reminder Program Act

This bill requires the creation of a statewide reminder program to notify defendants about upcoming criminal and traffic court appearances.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Administrative Office of the Courts to develop, implement, and manage a statewide reminder system for out-of-custody court appearances in criminal and traffic cases.
Ensures that reminders are free for defendants and can be sent via text message or email if provided by the defendant.
Recommends sending at least three reminders before each scheduled appearance, including one on the day before.
Requires clear language in reminders with details like date, time, location, consequences of missing court, and contact information.
Allows defendants to opt out of receiving reminders or update their contact information.

Who It Names or Affects

Defendants scheduled for criminal and traffic court appearances who are not in custody at the time of notice.

Terms To Know

Court reminder program: An automated system that sends reminders about upcoming court dates to defendants via text message, email, or mail.
Out-of-custody court appearance: A court appearance where the defendant is not in jail or prison at the time of notice.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how defendants will be informed about their ability to opt into electronic reminders.
It remains unclear how the program will handle language preferences for non-English speakers.

Bill History

2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar 3/25/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Effective January 1, 2027, this bill requires

t
he administrative office of the courts, under the authority of the supreme court,
to
develop, implement, and administer a statewide court appearance reminder program for out-of-custody court appearances in criminal and traffic cases for which a failure to appear warrant or sanction may be issued.

The purposes of the program include

(
i
)
r
educing the number of missed court appearances;

(
ii
)
i
mproving the efficiency and effectiveness of courts in this state;

(
iii
)
r
educing the issuance of failure to appear wa
rrants and related arrests and jail admissions; and

(
iv
)
c
onserving judicial, law enforcement, and correctional resources.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

This bill requires the
administrative office of the court
s

to
administer the reminder program in the following manner:



At no cost to defendants
.


Automatically enrolling defendants who voluntarily provide a cellular telephone number or electronic mail address, using text message delivery as the default method unless the defendant selects electronic mail
.


Send an initial enrollment notice informing the defendant of
u
pcoming reminders
, a
vailable language options
,
and
t
he ability to opt out at any time
.


Provide no fewer than three reminders prior to each scheduled out-of-custody court appearance, including at least one reminder sent on the day before the appearance
.


Use clear, plain language and include

(i) the date, time, and location of the court appearance;

(ii) the court name or address;

(iii) the consequences of nonappearance; and

(iv) contact information for questions or assistance
.


Include virtual appearance links when applicable
.


Mail court appearance reminders at least 14 days in advance to defendants who do not provide electronic contact information, including instructions for opting into electronic reminders
.


Provide at least one notice within one day after a missed court appearance explaining how to resolve the nonappearance and clear any resulting warrant
.


Offer reminders in multiple languages to the extent practicable
.


Permit defendants to update contact information and language preferences through publicly accessible means
.


Allow courts with existing reminder systems to continue using such systems if the systems meet the requirements of this
bill.

DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING

This bill requires

t
he administrative office of the courts
to
collect and maintain data necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, including
the
(
i
)
n
umber of eligible court appearances;

(
ii
)
n
umber of defendants enrolled in the program;

(
iii
)
n
umber and type of reminders sent;

(
iv
)
r
ates of court appearance and nonappearance with and without reminders; and

(
v
)
n
umber of failure to appear warrants issued.

The administrative office of the courts must use aggregated data collected under this
hea
ding
solely for program evaluation and reporting purposes.

PRIVACY AND USE LIMITATIONS

This bill prohibits a
defendant's refusal to provide a telephone number or electronic mail address
from
be
ing
used against the defendant for any purpose.

Contact information collected under this
bill
must be used solely for court notifications, including court appearances, schedule changes, and court closures.

Such information must not be used for
c
riminal investigations
, l
aw enforcement intelligence
, b
ail determinations
, e
vidence in any proceeding
,
or
a
ny purpose unrelated to court notification
s
.

IMPLEMENTATION AUTHORITY

This bill authorizes the
administrative office of the courts
to
adopt administrative policies and procedures necessary to implement this
bill,
and
to
coordinate with clerks of court, judges, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant entities to ensure effective operation of the program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2099
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 2144
By Glynn
HB2144
011730
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16
and Title 40, relative to the Tennessee Court
Appearance Reminder Program Act.

WHEREAS, the General Assembly finds that:
(1) Missed court appearances where a failure to appear warrant may issue
impose significant and avoidable costs on the judicial system, law enforcement
agencies, local governments, and taxpayers;
(2) Failure to appear warrants frequently result from logistical barriers,
confusion, or lack of timely notice rather than willful disregard of court obligations;
(3) Empirical research and demonstrated practice in multiple jurisdictions
establish that automated court appearance reminder programs reduce missed court
appearances by approximately twenty to forty percent;
(4) Reducing missed court appearances improves judicial efficiency, preserves
law enforcement resources, and minimizes unnecessary arrests, jail admissions, and
associated economic harm to defendants, families, employers, and communities; and
(5) Establishing a statewide court appearance reminder program constitutes a
cost-effective administrative improvement that supports the fair and efficient operation of
Tennessee's courts without altering criminal penalties or judicial discretion; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this act is to establish a uniform, statewide court appearance
reminder program, administered by the administrative office of the courts, to reduce failure to
appear rates and improve the efficient administration of justice in Tennessee; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

- 2 - 011730

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, is amended by adding the following
new chapter:
40-21-101. Short title.
This act is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Court Appearance
Reminder Program Act."
40-21-102. Chapter definitions.
For purposes of this act:
(1) "Court reminder program" means an automated system that provides
notice of scheduled court appearances by text message, electronic mail, or mail;
(2) "Defendant" means a person alleged to have committed a criminal or
traffic offense and who is scheduled for an out-of-custody court appearance for
which a failure to appear warrant or sanction may be imposed; and
(3) "Out-of-custody court appearance" means a court appearance for
which the defendant is not detained in jail or prison at the time notice is provided.
40-21-103. Establishment of statewide court appearance reminder program.
(a) The administrative office of the courts, under the authority of the supreme
court, must develop, implement, and administer a statewide court appearance reminder
program for out-of-custody court appearances in criminal and traffic cases for which a
failure to appear warrant or sanction may be issued.
(b) The purposes of the program include:
(1) Reducing the number of missed court appearances;
(2) Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of courts in this state;
(3) Reducing the issuance of failure to appear warrants and related
arrests and jail admissions; and
(4) Conserving judicial, law enforcement, and correctional resources.

- 3 - 011730

40-21-104. Program requirements.
The administrative office of the court must administer the reminder program in
the following manner:
(1) At no cost to defendants;
(2) Automatically enrolling defendants who voluntarily provide a cellular
telephone number or electronic mail address, using text message delivery as the
default method unless the defendant selects electronic mail;
(3) Send an initial enrollment notice informing the defendant of:
(A) Upcoming reminders;
(B) Available language options; and
(C) The ability to opt out at any time;
(4) Provide no fewer than three (3) reminders prior to each scheduled
out-of-custody court appearance, including at least one (1) reminder sent on the
day before the appearance;
(5) Use clear, plain language and include:
(A) The date, time, and location of the court appearance;
(B) The court name or address;
(C) The consequences of nonappearance; and
(D) Contact information for questions or assistance;
(6) Include virtual appearance links when applicable;
(7) Mail court appearance reminders at least fourteen (14) days in
advance to defendants who do not provide electronic contact information,
including instructions for opting into electronic reminders;

- 4 - 011730

(8) Provide at least one (1) notice within one (1) day after a missed court
appearance explaining how to resolve the nonappearance and clear any
resulting warrant;
(9) Offer reminders in multiple languages to the extent practicable;
(10) Permit defendants to update contact information and language
preferences through publicly accessible means; and
(11) Allow courts with existing reminder systems to continue using such
systems if the systems meet the requirements of this chapter.
40-21-105. Data collection and reporting.
(a) The administrative office of the courts must collect and maintain data
necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the court reminder program, including:
(1) Number of eligible court appearances;
(2) Number of defendants enrolled in the program;
(3) Number and type of reminders sent;
(4) Rates of court appearance and nonappearance with and without
reminders; and
(5) Number of failure to appear warrants issued.
(b) The administrative office of the courts must use aggregated data collected
under this section solely for program evaluation and reporting purposes.
40-21-106. Privacy and use limitations.
(a) A defendant's refusal to provide a telephone number or electronic mail
address must not be used against the defendant for any purpose.
(b) Contact information collected under this chapter must be used solely for
court notifications, including court appearances, schedule changes, and court closures.
(c) Such information must not be used for:

- 5 - 011730

(1) Criminal investigations;
(2) Law enforcement intelligence;
(3) Bail determinations;
(4) Evidence in any proceeding; or
(5) Any purpose unrelated to court notification.
40-21-107. Implementation authority.
The administrative office of the courts may adopt administrative policies and
procedures necessary to implement this act and may coordinate with clerks of court,
judges, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant entities to ensure effective
operation of the program.
SECTION 2. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect on January 1, 2027, the public welfare requiring it.