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SB0657 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to racketeering activity.

Crime Firearms
Passed Legislature

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about increased penalties or specific enforcement details.

Expanding Racketeering Laws in Tennessee

This bill updates Tennessee's laws by adding new types of criminal activities to the definition of racketeering, including organized retail crime and certain firearm offenses.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds 'organized retail crime' as a type of racketeering activity.
  • Includes possession or use of firearms during dangerous felonies in the list of racketeering activities.
  • Changes the law to consider carjacking as part of racketeering activity.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit organized retail crime, use firearms during dangerous crimes, or engage in carjacking.
  • Law enforcement agencies that will enforce the updated laws.
  • Courts and judges who will handle cases involving these new offenses.

Terms To Know

Racketeering
A pattern of criminal activity, often involving organized crime or illegal businesses.
Organized retail crime
Criminal activities like theft and fraud that target retail stores in an organized manner.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the new laws will be enforced or what additional resources might be needed.
  • It is unclear if there are any limitations on when these new offenses can be charged as racketeering activities.

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. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  4. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 374

  5. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 374

  6. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  7. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  9. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  10. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 83, Nays 2, PNV 4

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 26, Nays 6

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/16/2025

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  21. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  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, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; 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

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  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 cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  36. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/02/2025

  37. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025

  38. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/26/2025

  39. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/19/2025

  40. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/19/2025

  41. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  43. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  44. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/25

  46. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  47. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  48. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  49. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  50. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  51. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  52. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  53. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  54. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  55. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  56. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  57. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Under
present law, i
t is an offense for a person
:

(1)

E
mployed by, or associated with, an enterprise to knowingly conduct or participate in the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity
;

(
2
)
T
hrough a pattern of racketeering activity, to acquire
or maintain, directly or indirectly, an interest in or control of an enterprise of real or personal property
; or

(3)

Who
has received proceeds derived from a pattern of racketeering activity to use or invest any part of those proceeds in the acquisition
of any interest in real or personal property or in the establishment or operation of an enterprise.

A conviction under
(1)
–
(3) is
punish
able
as a Class B felony, unless the conviction is based upon a pattern of racketeering activity that involved a ho
micide, in which case the conviction must be punished as a Class A felony.

A person
so
convicted must be fined not more than $250,000 and

must be punished as a Range II offender
;
however, the sentence imposed upon such person may, if appropriate, be withi
n Range III but in no case may it be lower than Range II.

In lieu of a fine otherwise authorized by law, any person convicted of
an offense described in (1)
–
(3)
, through which pecuniary value is derived, or by which personal injury or property damage o
r other loss is caused, may be sentenced to pay a fine that does not exceed three times the gross value gained or three times the gross loss caused, whichever is the greater, plus court costs and the costs of investigation and prosecution, reasonably incu
r
red.

This bill expands the definition of "racketeering activity" to include
commit
ting
, attempt
ing
to commit, conspir
ing
to commit, or aid
ing
, attempt
ing
to aid, solicit
ing
, coerc
ing
, facilitat
ing
, or intimidat
ing
another person to commit
:

(A)
Organiz
ed retail crime;

(
B
) Possession or employment of a firearm or antique firearm during the commission of or attempt to commit a dangerous felony
; or

(C) A burglary offense relating to
carjacking.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 587
By Scarbrough

SENATE BILL 657
By Hensley

SB0657
000968
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to racketeering activity.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-12-203(10), is amended by
adding the following new subdivisions:
(RRR) Organized retail crime under § 39-14-113(c); or
(SSS) Possession or employment of a firearm or antique firearm during the
commission of or attempt to commit a dangerous felony under § 39-17-1324.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-12-203(10)(C), is amended by
deleting "relating to robbery" and substituting "relating to robbery or carjacking".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to any offense committed on or after that date.