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SB1290 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-402, relative to testing equipment used to determine the presence of a synthetic opioid.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Lamberth
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/03/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on the impact of the bill's provisions or any updates to Tennessee law beyond removing the expiration date and ensuring equipment is not considered paraphernalia unless used in a crime.

Changes to Drug Testing Equipment Laws

This bill removes the expiration date for equipment used to test for synthetic opioids and ensures that such testing devices are not considered drug paraphernalia unless they are used in a crime.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the July 1, 2025, deadline for excluding certain drug testing equipment from being classified as drug paraphernalia.
  • Ensures that narcotic testing equipment used to detect synthetic opioids is not considered illegal drug paraphernalia unless it's used in a crime.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who use or possess drug testing equipment for detecting synthetic opioids
  • Law enforcement agencies that deal with drug-related offenses

Terms To Know

Synthetic Opioid
A type of man-made drug similar to opium but often more dangerous and harder to detect.
Drug Paraphernalia
Items used in the production, sale, or use of illegal drugs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone uses testing equipment for a crime.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current cases involving drug paraphernalia.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/03/2025

  2. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 128

  3. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 128

  4. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/24/2025

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  15. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  21. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  22. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  26. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  28. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  32. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  34. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  36. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2025-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 113
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1290
By Johnson

SB1290
000181
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section
39-17-402, relative to testing equipment used to
determine the presence of a synthetic opioid.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-402(12)(B)(ii), is amended by
deleting ". This subdivision (12)(B)(ii) is repealed on July 1, 2025".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.