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SB1032 • 2026

Search & Seizure

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 44, relative to searches.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Bowling, Reneau
Last action
2026-03-24
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or monitoring compliance with the new requirements.

Search and Seizure Law

This law requires government officials to get a search warrant before entering private property for a search unless there is an existing judicial exception.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires government workers, like police officers or inspectors, to have a search warrant when they want to enter someone's private property to look around.
  • Does not require a warrant if the judge says it’s okay without one in certain situations.
  • Makes it against the law for officials to ignore this rule and face punishment if caught.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Government workers who need to search private property, such as police officers or inspectors.
  • People whose private property might be searched by government workers.

Terms To Know

Search warrant
A legal document that allows a government worker to enter and search someone's private property.
Judicially recognized exception
An official reason given by judges that allows searching without a warrant in certain cases.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the government worker doesn't know about an existing judicial exception.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced or monitored to ensure compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/7/2026

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  4. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  6. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  9. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Def. to Special Calendar to be Published with Final Calendar in Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  10. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  11. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 2/11/2026

  12. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/4/2026

  13. 2026-01-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  14. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 1/28/2026

  15. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  19. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  23. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  25. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  28. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  30. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  31. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  32. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill generally requires
an official who is employe
d or contracted by the federal government, the state government, or a local government within this state, or an agency or department of
such government
, including a peace officer, inspector, and wildlife official,
to
, prior to entering private property to
conduct a search, obtain a search warrant

that identifies the person or property that is the subject of the search.
However, a
n official is not required to obtain
such
a search warrant if a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement exists
at the time of the search.

An official who knowingly fails to obtain a search warrant when a search warrant is required by this
bill
commits a Class C misdemeanor
, punishable by a term of imprisonment
not greater than 30 days or a fine not to exceed $50,
or both.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 850
By Reneau

SENATE BILL 1032
By Bowling

SB1032
002596
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 8; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 44,
relative to searches.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 3, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), an official who is employed or
contracted by the federal government, the state government, or a local government
within this state, or an agency or department thereof, including a peace officer,
inspector, and wildlife official, shall, prior to entering private property to conduct a
search, obtain a search warrant, as described in § 40-6-106, that identifies the person or
property that is the subject of the search.
(b) An official is not required to obtain a search warrant pursuant to subsection
(a) if a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement exists at the time of the
search.
(c) An official who knowingly fails to obtain a search warrant when a search
warrant is required by this section commits a Class C misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.