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SB0547 • 2026

Criminal Procedure

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, relative to public safety.

Crime Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Cochran
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify which counties must remit funds directly to their governments versus those that go to the district attorney general system.

Tennessee Criminal Procedure Act

This bill requires courts to add a $12.50 charge in cost bills for misdemeanors and felonies, with funds going to county governments or district attorney offices to support public safety services.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a $12.50 fee to every misdemeanor and felony cost bill that must be paid by the defendant.
  • Requires counties to send collected fees to either their government or the district attorneys general conference, depending on whether they are part of a multiple county judicial district.
  • Limits the use of these funds to promoting public safety at the discretion of the district attorney general for each county's respective judicial district.
  • Requires district attorneys receiving funding from this bill to report annually about how much money was collected and how it was used.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People charged with misdemeanors or felonies in Tennessee will have a $12.50 fee added to their cost bills.
  • County governments and district attorneys general conferences will receive funds from the new fees for public safety services.

Terms To Know

Multiple County Judicial District
A region in Tennessee where several counties are grouped together for judicial purposes, affecting how collected fees are distributed.
District Attorney General Conference
An organization that oversees district attorneys across multiple county judicial districts and manages the distribution of funds from this bill.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not apply to nonmoving traffic violations.
  • The exact amount of additional revenue generated by this fee cannot be determined with certainty.
  • Funds collected must be used for public safety services at the discretion of district attorneys, but specific uses are not detailed.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 369

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 369

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 23, PNV 1

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/17/2025

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/16/2025

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2025

  19. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/15/2025

  20. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/8/2025

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  22. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 25, Nays 5

  30. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  31. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  33. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  42. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Upon approval by a two-thirds vote of the county legislative body, this bill requires the clerk of every court having jurisdiction over state misdemeanors and felonies to charge an additional $12.50 in every misdemeanor and felony cost bill. However,
this bill does not apply to nonmoving traffic violations. Additionally, in misdemeanor and felony prosecutions in which restitution is ordered
or the privilege tax for the criminal injuries compensation is also levied, the cost imposed by this
bill
does
not have priority over collection of that restitution or privilege tax.

REMITTANCE OF FUNDS

For the counties of Sullivan, Blount, Knox, Anderson, Hamilton, Coffee, Sumner, Davidson, Williamson, and Shelby, the funds acquired from this bill must be remit
ted to the county government. All other counties are a part of a multiple county judicial district and the funds for these counties must be remitted to the office of the executive director of the district attorneys general conference for the purpose of p
r
oviding additional funding for the office of the district attorney within that judicial district.
Any unencumbered moneys and any unexpended balance of such funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the state general fund but must be ca
rried forward for the purpose for which they were originally intended.

USAGE OF FUNDS

This bill requires all costs collected under this bill by a county government to be used to provide support services for promoting public safety at the discretion of t
he district attorney general for that county's respective judicial district. The funds of the district attorney general system may be supplemented by the county to promote public safety. Additionally, the costs collected under this bill are supplemental

and in addition to any funds that are received under provisions present law.

REPORTING

This bill requires d
istrict attorney genera
ls

who
receiv
e
or direct funding pursuant to this
bill

to
submit a report to the district attorneys general conference no
later than January 1 of each year detailing the amount of costs charged and collected and the purposes for which the funds were used in the year immediately preceding such date. The district attorneys general conference
must
provide a corresponding report
no later than February 15 of each year to
certain legislative committees
providing such information in aggregate and by district.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 547
By Cochran

SENATE BILL 547
By Stevens

SB0547
000383
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
relative to public safety.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 3, is amended by adding
the following new section:
40-3-106.
(a) This section takes effect in any county immediately upon approval by two-
thirds (2/3) vote of the county legislative body.
(b) It is the duty of the clerk of every court having jurisdiction of state
misdemeanors and felonies to include in every misdemeanor and felony cost bill, a
charge of twelve dollars and fifty cents ($12.50) that must be remitted to the county
government, except in counties that are part of a multiple county judicial district as
defined in § 16-2-506, in which case this charge must be remitted to the office of the
executive director of the district attorneys general conference for the purpose of
providing supplemental funding for the office of the district attorney general within that
judicial district. Any unencumbered moneys and any unexpended balance of such funds
remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the state general fund but must be
carried forward for the purpose for which they were originally intended.
(c) All costs collected by county governments pursuant to this section must be
used for providing support services for the purpose of promoting public safety at the sole
discretion of the district attorney general for that county's respective judicial district.

- 2 - 000383

(d) A county may supplement the funds of the district attorney general system to
promote public safety. The costs collected by the county under this section are
supplemental and in addition to any funds received under this chapter or under title 8,
chapter 7, relative to district attorneys general.
(e) This section does not apply to nonmoving traffic violations.
(f) In every misdemeanor and felony prosecution in which restitution is ordered
or the privilege tax for the criminal injuries compensation fund established by § 40-24-
107 is also levied, the cost imposed by this section does not have priority over collection
of that restitution or privilege tax.
(g) A district attorney general receiving or directing funding pursuant to this
section shall submit a report to the district attorneys general conference no later than
January 1 of each year detailing the amount of costs charged and collected and the
purposes for which the funds were used in the year immediately preceding such date.
The district attorneys general conference shall provide a corresponding report no later
than February 15 of each year to the chair of the judiciary committee of the senate, the
chair of the criminal justice committee of the house of representatives, and the chairs of
the finance, ways and means committees of the senate and the house of
representatives, providing such information in aggregate and by district.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.