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SB0166 • 2026

Judicial Districts

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

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Walley, Moody
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
Transmitted to Governor for action.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Judicial Districts Act

This bill extends deadlines for reviewing and redistricting judicial districts in Tennessee and adds one more circuit court in the 28th district starting September 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

  • Extends until January 1, 2028, the deadline by which a task force must complete its review of judicial district composition and propose a new statewide plan.
  • Stretches the deadline for the Tennessee General Assembly to reapportion judicial districts from December 31, 2027, to December 31, 2028.
  • Adds one more circuit court in the 28th judicial district starting September 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The task force reviewing Tennessee's judicial districts
  • The Tennessee General Assembly
  • Residents of the 28th judicial district

Terms To Know

Judicial Districts
Areas within a state where courts have authority to hear cases.
Task Force
A group of people appointed to study and report on specific issues or problems.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen if the deadlines are missed.
  • It is unclear how the extension of deadlines might affect court operations in the interim period.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0181

Plain English: The amendment changes specific dates in Tennessee's judicial district laws from 2027 to 2028.

  • Changes 'January 1, 2027' to 'January 1, 2028' in Section 16-2-522(a)(4) of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • Changes 'December 31, 2027' to 'December 31, 2028' in Section 16-2-522(b) of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • The amendment only specifies date changes and does not provide details about the broader context or implications of these changes.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0166

Plain English: This amendment changes specific dates in Tennessee's judicial district laws from 2027 to 2028.

  • Changes 'January 1, 2027' to 'January 1, 2028' in Section 16-2-522(a)(4) of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • Changes 'December 31, 2027' to 'December 31, 2028' in Section 16-2-522(b) of Tennessee Code Annotated.
  • The amendment only specifies changes to dates and does not provide context about what these dates represent or the full impact of changing them.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0764)

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  9. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  11. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  12. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0715)

  13. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  16. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  26. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  27. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 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.