HB2251 • 2026

Judges and Chancellors

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40, relative to criminal magistrates.

Active

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

Sponsor: Grills, Lowe
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Effective date(s) 05/19/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Judges and Chancellors

This bill establishes a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the 10 counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, as determined by the comptroller of the treasury in the annual weighted caseload study.

What This Bill Does

This bill establishes a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the 10 counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, as determined by the comptroller of the treasury in the annual weighted caseload study.
B y December 1, 2026, the administrative office of the courts must notify the legislative body of each of the 10 counties that are eligible to participate in the pilot project.
CRIMINAL MAGISTRATE POSITION Upon being notified of eligibility, this bill authorizes the legislative body of an eligible county to, by ordinance, establish the position of criminal magistrate within the county.
Following enactment of such an ordinance, but no sooner than January 1 , 2027, the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction, excluding general session judges, may appoint the criminal magistrate, who serves at the pleasure of the majority of the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

SA1065

Amendment 1-0 to SB2025

Plain English: Amendment No.

Amendment No.
1 to SB2025 Lowe Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2025* House Bill No.
2251 SA1065 018226 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 05/19/2026
2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 1017
2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1017
2026-05-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 28, Nays 5
2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA1065)
2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Motion to reconsider adopted. (Amendment 1 - SA1065)
2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Lift tableing motion
2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/23/2026
2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
H. nonconcurred in S. am. no. 1
2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 6
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA1065)
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2026
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/21/2026
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/7/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026
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

This bill establishes a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the 10 counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, as determined by the comptroller of the treasury in the annual weighted caseload study. B
y December 1, 2026, the administrative office of the courts must notify the legislative body of each of the 10 counties that are eligible to participate in the pilot project.

CRIMINAL MAGISTRATE POSITION

Upon being notified of eligibility, this bill authorizes the legislative body of an eligible county to, by ordinance, establish the position of criminal magistrate within the county. Following enactment of such an ordinance, but no sooner than January 1
, 2027, the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction, excluding general session judges, may appoint the criminal magistrate, who serves at the pleasure of the majority of the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction.

Duties

This bill provides that the criminal magistrate has all of the following duties:



Conduct arraignments


Conduct initial appearance hearings and set initial appearance bonds


Determine a defendant's indigency status


Accept entry of pleas of guilt for misdemeanors and Class D and Class E felonies


Issue search warrants and arrest warrants


Conduct preliminary hearings


Review and issue summary adjudication orders, if appropriate, for all collateral petitions for all misdemeanors and Class D and Class E felonies

Term and Compensation

This bill provides that the term of a criminal magistrate is four years. The criminal magistrate may be removed from office by majority vote of the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction, excluding general session judges. The criminal magistra
te must be compensated from the general fund of the county in an amount to be determined by the majority of the elected judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction, excluding general session judges, and subject to the approval of the legislative body.

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 2251 FOR SENATE BILL 2025, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2251, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes from a criminal magistrate's list of duties the duty to accept guilty pleas for Class D and Class E felonies.

ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE HOUSE NON-CONCURRED IN SENATE AMENDMENT #1.

ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE SENATE RECONSIDERED ITS ACTIONS ON SENATE AMENDMENT #1, WITHDREW SENATE AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2251.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2025
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 2251
By Grills
HB2251
011154
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16;
Title 17 and Title 40, relative to criminal
magistrates.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 5, is amended by adding
the following new part:
40-5-301.
(a) There is created a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the ten
(10) counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, as
determined by the comptroller of the treasury in the annual weighted caseload study,
required by § 16-2-513.
(b) By December 1, 2026, the administrative office of the courts must notify the
legislative body of each of the ten (10) counties that are eligible to participate in the pilot
project.
40-5-302.
(a) Upon being notified of eligibility under § 40-5-301, the legislative body of an
eligible county may, by ordinance, create the position of criminal magistrate within the
county.
(b) Following enactment of such an ordinance, but no sooner than January 1,
2027, the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction may appoint the criminal
magistrate, who shall serve at the pleasure of the majority of the judges of the county
with criminal jurisdiction. As used this part, "judges of the county with criminal
jurisdiction" does not include general sessions judges.

- 2 - 011154

40-5-303.
The duties of the criminal magistrate are to:
(1) Conduct arraignments, pursuant to Rule 10 of the Tennessee Rules
of Criminal Procedure;
(2) Conduct initial appearance hearings, pursuant to Rule 5 of the
Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, and set initial appearance bonds,
pursuant to § 40-11-118;
(3) Determine a defendant's indigency status;
(4) Accept entry of pleas of guilt, pursuant to Rule 11 of the Tennessee
Rules of Criminal Procedure, for misdemeanors and Class D and Class E
felonies;
(5) Issue search warrants and arrest warrants;
(6) Conduct preliminary hearings, pursuant to Rule 5.1 of the Tennessee
Rules of Criminal Procedure; and
(7) Review and issue summary adjudication orders, if appropriate, for all
collateral petitions for all misdemeanors and Class D and Class E felonies. As
used in this section, "collateral petitions" include, but are not limited to, motions
to modify or waive sentence requirements, post-conviction relief petitions, and
petitions for writs of error coram nobis.
40-5-304.
(a) The term of a criminal magistrate is four (4) years. The criminal magistrate
may be removed from office by majority vote of the judges of the county with criminal
jurisdiction.

- 3 - 011154

(b) The criminal magistrate must be compensated from the general fund of the
county in an amount to be determined by the majority of the elected judges of the county
with criminal jurisdiction and subject to the approval of the legislative body.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.