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SB0255 • 2026

Courts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 18; Title 20; Title 21; Title 24; Title 25; Title 26; Title 27; Title 28 and Title 29, relative to courts.

Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Gardenhire, Helton-Haynes
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 487
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about the effective date or further implications of the law beyond its stated purpose.

Protection for Municipal Judges Against Residency Requirements

This law prevents municipal judges who were elected or appointed before March 7, 2025, from being removed due to residency requirements during their term.

What This Bill Does

  • Prevents the removal of municipal judges based on residency rules if they were chosen for their job before March 7, 2025.
  • Deems these judges as de facto officers whose acts, judgments, and decisions remain valid until the end of their term.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Municipal judges who were elected or appointed before March 7, 2025.
  • People involved in legal processes related to these judges' positions.

Terms To Know

municipal judge
A local court official chosen by voters or a government body to handle cases in their city or town.
residency requirement
A rule that says someone must live in a certain place to hold an office or job.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to judges elected or appointed before March 7, 2025.
  • It does not change the residency rules for future elections of municipal judges.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0490

Plain English: This amendment protects certain municipal judges who were elected or appointed before March 7, 2025, from being removed due to residency requirements.

  • Municipal judges elected or appointed before March 7, 2025 will not be disqualified from their positions because of a new residency requirement.
  • These judges' actions and decisions are considered valid until the end of their term.
  • The new residency rules for municipal judges start applying after the next regular election.
  • This amendment does not cover any qualifications or eligibility requirements other than the residency rule mentioned in McNabb v. Harrison.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0255

Plain English: This amendment protects certain municipal judges who were elected or appointed before March 7, 2025, from being removed due to residency requirements.

  • Municipal judges elected or appointed before March 7, 2025 will not be disqualified from their positions based on residency rules during the term of office they were originally given.
  • These judges are considered valid and their decisions binding until the end of their terms, despite any new residency requirements set by the Tennessee Supreme Court in McNabb v. Harrison.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if a judge fails to meet other qualifications besides residency.
  • It is unclear how this will affect judges who were elected or appointed after March 7, 2025.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 487

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2025

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 487

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0391)

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/17/2025

  16. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  18. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0325)

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to S. Cal Comm

  20. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  24. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  25. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  27. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  28. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  31. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  33. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  34. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  35. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  39. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  40. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  41. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  42. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  43. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  46. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  47. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  48. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 490, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to prohibit the disqualification or removal of
a municipal judge who was duly elected or a
ppointed to office prior to March 7, 2025, and who is qualified for such office under the laws and interpretations in effect at the time of such election or appointment, due to a residency requirement during the term of office to which the municipal judge

was elected or appointed.
A m
unicipal judge
to whom this amendment applies is
deemed a de facto officer whose acts, judgments, and decisions are valid and binding during the completion of the municipal judge's term.
This amendment specifies that r
esidenc
y requirements established by the Tennessee supreme court in McNabb v. Harrison, decided March 7, 2025, apply prospectively and
may
be enforced beginning with the next regularly scheduled election for any affected municipal judgeship after the
date that th
is bill becomes a law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 490
By Helton-Haynes

SENATE BILL 255
By Gardenhire

SB0255
001803
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8;
Title 16; Title 17; Title 18; Title 20; Title 21; Title
24; Title 25; Title 26; Title 27; Title 28 and Title 29,
relative to courts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 16-21-111(c), is amended by adding
the following after the first sentence:
The report may be submitted in electronic format.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.