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SB0222 • 2026

Criminal Procedure

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Taylor, Russell
Last action
2026-04-20
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changing Time for Sheriff to Report on Handgun Permit Applications

This bill changes the time limit from 30 days to 45 days for sheriffs to report information about handgun permit applications to the Department of Safety.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the time limit from 30 days to 45 days for sheriffs to send information to the Department of Safety about an applicant's truthfulness on a handgun carry permit application.
  • Modifies Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Sheriffs in Tennessee
  • People applying for enhanced handgun carry permits

Terms To Know

Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
A special type of permit that allows people to carry a concealed handgun.
Department of Safety
The government agency responsible for public safety in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the sheriff fails to report within 45 days.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect the overall process of issuing handgun permits.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1027

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1027 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 222* House Bill No.
  • 1027 HA0340 005472 - 1 - by deleting all language after the caption and substituting: WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program tracks both the violent crime rate and the solve rate or clearance rate of those violent crimes across the country and in this State; and WHEREAS, this State can use that data to better understand what drives both crime and deterrence in Tennessee; and WHEREAS, the violent crime rate rose almost eighteen percent (18%) in the ten year period from 2013 to 2023; and WHEREAS, during that same time period, the rate of homicide offenses more than doubled (110%), the rate of aggravated assault offenses rose thirty percent (30%), the rate of robbery offenses fell by almost a third (31%), and the rate of rape offenses rose seven percent (7%); and WHEREAS, meanwhile, the rate of violent crimes that went unsolved rose eleven percent (11%); and WHEREAS, in 2023, the clearance rate was only thirty-nine percent (39%), meaning that sixty-one percent (61%) of violent crimes were unsolved; now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0222

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB0222 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 222* House Bill No.
  • 1027 SA0214 005472 - 1 - by deleting all language after the caption and substituting: WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program tracks both the violent crime rate and the solve rate or clearance rate of those violent crimes across the country and in this State; and WHEREAS, this State can use that data to better understand what drives both crime and deterrence in Tennessee; and WHEREAS, the violent crime rate rose almost eighteen percent (18%) in the ten year period from 2013 to 2023; and WHEREAS, during that same time period, the rate of homicide offenses more than doubled (110%), the rate of aggravated assault offenses rose thirty percent (30%), the rate of robbery offenses fell by almost a third (31%), and the rate of rape offenses rose seven percent (7%); and WHEREAS, meanwhile, the rate of violent crimes that went unsolved rose eleven percent (11%); and WHEREAS, in 2023, the clearance rate was only thirty-nine percent (39%), meaning that sixty-one percent (61%) of violent crimes were unsolved; now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  8. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  9. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  11. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  13. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  14. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  17. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  19. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  22. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  25. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-01-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1027
By Russell

SENATE BILL 222
By Taylor
SB0222
001370
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38;
Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351(g)(2), is amended by
deleting "thirty (30) days" and substituting instead "forty-five (45) days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.