Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and official digest text do not provide information about the impact on current cases, court interpretations outside of human trafficking scenarios, or funding details.

Changes to Laws About Human Trafficking and Self-Defense

This bill changes Tennessee laws about human trafficking by making it easier for victims of human trafficking to prove they were defending themselves.

What This Bill Does

• A person who uses force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury against an individual committing or attempting to commit a human trafficking offense is presumed to have held a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury if the person using force is the victim of the human trafficking offense.
• Requires clear and convincing evidence to prove that someone is a victim of human trafficking.
• Defines what counts as a 'human trafficking offense' for self-defense purposes, including involuntary labor servitude, trafficking persons for forced labor or services, trafficking for commercial sex acts involving minors, patronizing prostitution from minors, promoting the prostitution of minors.

Who It Names or Affects

• Victims of human trafficking
• People who are charged with crimes related to human trafficking

Terms To Know

Human Trafficking Offense

An act that involves forcing someone into labor or commercial sex acts, promoting prostitution involving minors, involuntary labor servitude, and other similar activities.

Clear and Convincing Evidence

A high standard of proof in court where the evidence must be highly probable to prove a fact.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how it will affect current cases or individuals already involved with the justice system.
• It is unclear if this law will change how courts interpret self-defense claims outside of human trafficking scenarios.
• There are no details on funding for implementing these changes.

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 19, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1225, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following changes to present law:



Provide that a victim of a human trafficking offense using force against a person who is committing or attempting to commit a human trafficking offense is presumed to have held a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury to self, family, a member of the household, or a person visiting as an invited guest when that force is used.



Require a person to prove their status as a victim of human trafficking by clear and convincing evidence, and authorize such evidence to be offered through testimony.



For purposes of self-defense, defines a "human trafficking offense" as the commission of an act that would constitute the criminal offense of (i) trafficking a person for a commercial sex act; (ii) patronizing prostitution from a person who is younger than 18, has an intellectual disability, or is a law enforcement officer posing as a minor; or (iii) promoting prostitution of a
person more than 12 but less than 18
or a person with an intellectual disability.



Clarifies that a defendant arrested for the offense of obstructing a highway or passageway must not be released within 12 hours of the time of arrest.

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1225 FOR HOUSE BILL 1354, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1225, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes the first bullet point in the amendment summary above and provides, instead, that a
person is presumed to have held a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury to self if

(i)
t
he person uses force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury against an individual who is committing or attempting to commit a human trafficking offense; and (ii)
t
he person using force is the victim of the human trafficking offense being committed or attempted by the indivi
dual.

This amendment removes the third bullet and, instead, f
or purposes of self-defense, defines a "human trafficking offense" as the commission of an act that would constitute the criminal offense of
any of the following:



Involuntary labor servitude


Trafficking persons for forced labor or services


Trafficking for commercial sex act


Patronizing prostitution

from a person who is younger than 18, has an intellectual disability, or is a law enforcement officer posing as a minor


Promoting prostitution

of a person more than 12 but less than
18
or a person with an intellectual disability


Promoting the prostitution of a mino
r.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1354
By Littleton

SENATE BILL 1225
By Rose

SB1225
003358
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37;
Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-15-411(a), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting instead:
(a) A person who disseminates smoking paraphernalia shall prominently display
in the place where the items are disseminated the sign required pursuant to § 39-17-
1506(a).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.