Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Amending Laws on Vandalism at Houses of Worship

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to increase penalties for vandalism and violent acts committed at houses of worship.

What This Bill Does

• Adds a new rule that if someone vandalizes a house of worship, they must pay a fine of at least twice the cost of repairing or cleaning up the damage.
• Makes it a felony (a very serious crime) to use force, threaten people with violence, or block entrances and exits at houses of worship.
• Also makes it a felony to intentionally damage or destroy property at a house of worship.
• Increases penalties for repeat offenses by making them more severe felonies.
• Allows victims of these crimes to sue the person who committed them in court.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who commit vandalism or violent acts at houses of worship will face stricter punishments.
• Houses of worship and their owners can seek compensation for damages through civil actions.

Terms To Know

Felony

A serious crime that carries a sentence of more than one year in prison.

Restitution

Money paid by someone who has caused damage to another person or property as part of their punishment.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the increased fines will be enforced.
• It is unclear if this law will change how courts handle similar cases that happened before it was passed.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a person commits the offense of vandalism who knowingly causes damage to, or the destruction of, any real or personal property of another or of the state, the United States, a county, a city, or a town knowing that the person do
es not have the owner's effective consent. In addition to any sentence imposed for the offense, the court must include an order of restitution for any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred as a result of the offense.

This bill requires, in addition to any sentence imposed for such a violation, if the offense occurred at a house of worship, the court to also include as part of the sentence a fine of no less than two times the total amount of any property damage or los
s or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred by the house of worship as a result of the offense.

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2468, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Provides it is
a

Class E felony

offense when
a
person

at a house of worship, by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction
to
ingress or egress to or from a house of worship, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person's freedom of movement
,
or attempts to injure, intimidate
where the person has
a reasonable apprehension of bodily injury to the
mselves
or another
, or interfere with another lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the right of religious freedom under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or Article I, § 3 of the Tennessee Constitution.
A
Class E felony
is
punishable by one to six year
s
in prison and
the
possibility of a fine up to $3,000.



Provides it is
a

Class E felony offense when
a
person intentionally damages or destroys or attempts to damage or destroy the property of a house of worship.



Provides that a second or subsequent offense of either of the Class E felonies described in the prior two bullet points is a

Class C felony
,
punishable by three to 15 years in prison and a possibility of a fine up to $10,000.



Authorizes a person who was lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the person's right of religious freedom at a house of worship at which the offense occurred
to
commence a civil action
.



Authorizes the entity that owns or operates the house of worship at which the offense occurred
to
commence a civil action
.



Authorizes the court
to
award the appropriate relief, including
i
njunctive relief;
c
ompensatory damages or statutory damages of $5,000 per violation;
p
unitive damages; and
r
easonable costs of bringing the action and attorney's fees.



If the attorney general determines that a person or group of persons has been injured by conduct constituting a violation of either Class E felony offense listed above,
then
this amendment authorizes the attorney general to commence a civil action seeking injunctive relief and a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed

$10,000 for a first violation that did not involve the use of or threat to use force;

$15,000 for a first violation involving the use of or threat to use force; or

$15,000

for a second or subsequent violation.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2468
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 2309
By Carringer
HB2309
012081
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29
and Title 39, relative to criminal conduct.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-14-408(c)(1), is amended by
adding the following new subdivision:
(C) Notwithstanding § 40-35-111, in addition to any sentence imposed for a
violation of subdivision (b)(1), if the offense occurred at a house of worship, the court
must include as part of the sentence a fine of no less than two (2) times the total amount
of any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred by the
house of worship as a result of the offense.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.