Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Increasing Penalties for Speed-Related Vehicular Homicide

This bill increases penalties for vehicular homicide caused by driving more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit to a Class B felony, raising fines and prison time.

What This Bill Does

• Adds extreme and excessive rate of speed as a reason for vehicular homicide, defined as traveling at least 20 mph above the posted speed limit.
• Raises vehicular homicide due to extreme speeding from a Class C felony to a Class B felony.
• Increases prison time for speeding-related vehicular homicide from three to fifteen years to eight to thirty years.
• Raises fines for speeding-related vehicular homicide from up to $10,000 to up to $25,000.

Who It Names or Affects

• Drivers who cause death while driving extremely fast over the speed limit.
• Courts and law enforcement dealing with cases of vehicular homicide due to excessive speeding.

Terms To Know

Class C felony

A serious crime that can result in prison time between three to fifteen years.

Class B felony

An even more severe crime than a Class C felony, with possible sentences of eight to thirty years.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how it will be enforced or funded.
• It is unclear if the bill will reduce speeding-related deaths in Tennessee.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that v
ehicular homicide
, a
Class C felony
punishable by three to 15 years in prison and
a fine
up to
$10,000
,
is the reckless killing of another by the operation of an automobile, airplane,
boat,
or
other
motor vehicle, as the proximate result
of certain conduct, including any of the following:



Conduct creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to a person
.


The driver's or the operator's intoxication
by alcohol, drugs, or both.


D
rag racing
.


The driver's conduct in a posted construction zone where the person killed was an employee of the department of transportation or a highway construction worker.

This bill adds to the above list a
driver's extreme and excessive rate of speed

20 miles per hour
or more
over the posted speed limit.

Vehicular homicide
by
extreme and excessive rate of speed is
raised to a
Class B felony
, punishable by

eight to
30 years
in prison and
a fine
up to
$25,000
.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2370
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 2266
By Leatherwood
HB2266
011977
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 55, relative to criminal offenses involving
motor vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-213(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(5) The driver's extreme and excessive rate of speed. As used in this
subdivision (a)(5), "extreme and excessive rate of speed" means traveling at more than
twenty (20) miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-213(b), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(4) Vehicular homicide under subdivision (a)(5) is a Class B felony.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.