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SB1225 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

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

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Sponsor
Rose, Littleton
Last action
2026-05-18
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Criminal Offenses

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

What This Bill Does

  • 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.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1354

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1354 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1225* House Bill No.
  • 1354 HA0988 015385 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1225

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1225 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1225* House Bill No.
  • 1354 SA0621 013990 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2026

  2. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 886

  3. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 886

  4. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 25, Nays 3 (Amendment 1 - HA0988)

  10. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/16/2026

  11. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/16/2026

  12. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 79, Nays 13, PNV 6

  13. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0988)

  14. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  15. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  17. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  18. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  19. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  21. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 0, PNV 5

  26. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0621 Division two), Ayes 27, Nays 6

  27. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0621 Division one), Voice Vote

  28. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

  30. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1

  31. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  32. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  33. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

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

This amendment removes the third bullet and, instead, for 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 minor.

ON APRIL 16, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #1.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored 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.