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SB0166 • 2026

Judicial Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16, Chapter 2, relative to judicial districts.

Active

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

Sponsor
Walley, Moody
Last action
2026-04-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/16/2026
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.

Judicial Districts

ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 166, AS AMENDED.

What This Bill Does

  • ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 166, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following changes to present law:  E xtends from January 1, 2027 , to January 1, 2028 , the date by which the advisory task force to review composition of judicial districts has to complete its findings and publish a proposed statewide judicial redistricting plan.
  •  Extends from December 31, 2027 , to December 31, 2028 , the date by which the general assembly must, after the above submission, (i) r eapportion the judicial districts to provide reasonable and timely access to Tennessee's circuit, chancery, and criminal courts; and (ii) p romote the efficient utilization of publicly funded resources allocated for the courts.

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.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0181

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB0181 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 166* House Bill No.
  • 181 HA0764 014903 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0166

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB0166 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 166* House Bill No.
  • 181 SA0715 014903 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/16/2026

  2. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 681

  3. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 681

  4. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0764)

  11. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  14. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  15. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  16. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0715)

  17. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  19. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  20. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  23. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  28. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  29. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  30. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 166, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following changes to present law:



E
xtends from January 1, 2027
,
to January 1, 2028
,
the

date by which the advisory task force to review composition of judicial districts has to complete its findings and publish a proposed statewide judicial redistricting plan.



Extends from
December 31, 2027
,

to
December 31, 2028
, the date by which the general assembly must, after the above submission, (i) r
eapportion the judicial districts to provide reasonable and timely access to Tennessee's circuit, chancery, and criminal courts; and
(ii) p
romote the efficient utilization of publicly funded resources allocated for the courts.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 181
By Moody

SENATE BILL 166
By Walley

SB0166
001657
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16,
Chapter 2, relative to judicial districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 16-2-506(28)(A), is amended by
adding the following language as a new subdivision:
(iii) Effective September 1, 2025, there is created in the twenty-eighth judicial
district one (1) additional circuit court. The governor shall appoint a person to serve as
judge of the circuit court created by this subdivision (28)(A)(iii). The person so appointed
shall serve in that capacity until September 1, 2026, or until the person's successor is
elected and qualified. At the August 2026 general election, the qualified voters of the
twenty-eighth judicial district shall elect, in accordance with § 16-2-505, one (1) person
to serve as judge of the circuit court created by this subdivision (28)(A)(iii). The person
so elected at the August 2026 general election shall hold office until September 1, 2030,
or until the person's successor is elected and qualified. Thereafter, the judge of the
circuit court created by this subdivision (28)(A)(iii) must be elected for a full eight-year
term.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.