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HB2563 • 2026

Public Defenders

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4, relative to district public defenders.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Gillespie, Gardenhire
Last action
2026-04-01
Official status
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on consequences for insufficient notice or operational impacts, leaving these points as speculative.

Changing Notice Requirements for Public Defender Meetings

This bill changes the notice requirement from ten days to ten business days before a meeting of district public defenders can be called.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the number of days' written notice required from ten days to ten business days.
  • Applies this change to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The president of the district public defenders conference
  • District public defenders

Terms To Know

business day
A day when businesses and offices are open, excluding weekends and holidays.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the notice is less than ten business days.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current practices or operations of public defenders' meetings.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2563

Plain English: The amendment adds new positions for assistant district public defenders, legal secretaries, investigators, and social workers starting in 2026.

  • Adds twenty (20) additional assistant district public defender positions.
  • Adds twenty (20) additional legal secretary positions.
  • Adds twelve (12) additional investigator positions.
  • Adds seven (7) additional social worker positions.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2325

Plain English: The amendment adds new positions for assistant district public defenders, legal secretaries, investigators, and social workers starting in 2026.

  • Adds twenty (20) more assistant district public defender jobs.
  • Creates twenty (20) additional legal secretary roles.
  • Increases the number of investigator positions by twelve (12).
  • Adds seven (7) new social worker positions.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how these new positions will be funded or where they will be located.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  7. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  8. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  16. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  17. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  18. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  19. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  21. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2325
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 2563
By Gillespie
HB2563
012010
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4, relative to
district public defenders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-14-204, is amended by deleting
"ten (10) days" and substituting "ten (10) business days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.