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SB1302 • 2026

Safety, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55 and Title 65, relative to transportation.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Lamberth
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Enrolled and ready for signatures
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to DUI Sentencing and Reporting Requirements

This bill changes how courts handle sentencing for people convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) and adds the legislative librarian as a recipient of reports about ignition interlock devices.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement that someone convicted of DUI must start their jail sentence within 30 days or as soon as space is available in jail.
  • Gives the sentencing court the power to decide when an offender should begin serving their sentence after being convicted of DUI.
  • Requires the annual report about ignition interlock devices installed on vehicles to be sent to the legislative librarian.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are sentenced for driving under the influence (DUI).
  • Courts that handle DUI cases.
  • The legislative librarian and other recipients of reports about ignition interlock devices.

Terms To Know

Ignition Interlock Device
A device installed in a car to prevent it from starting if the driver has been drinking alcohol.
Sentencing Court
The court that decides how long someone will be punished for breaking the law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear when exactly this bill will become a law.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if the legislative librarian does not receive the report on time.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1317

Plain English: The amendment changes how courts decide when someone must start serving their jail time for certain traffic violations.

  • Changes Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-10-402(f)(1) to give the sentencing court the authority to determine when an offender must begin serving a sentence of incarceration for violating § 55-10-401.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how courts will make these determinations or what specific violations are covered under § 55-10-401.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1302

Plain English: This amendment changes how courts decide when someone must start serving their jail time for certain traffic violations.

  • The amendment removes and replaces existing language in Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-402(f)(1), which deals with the timing of when a person sentenced to jail for violating § 55-10-401 must begin serving their sentence.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details about how courts will determine the start date for sentences, only that they are responsible for making this decision.
  • It is unclear what exact changes are being made to the existing law without seeing the full context of Section 55-10-402(f)(1).

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  2. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 10, PNV 4

  3. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0968)

  4. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  5. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0927)

  10. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  11. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/7/2026

  12. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  13. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  18. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  27. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1302, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, remove present law that requires an
offender sentenced to a period of incarceration for a
DUI to

begin their
sentence within 30 days of conviction or, if space is not immediately available in the appropriate municipal or county jail or workhouse within such time, as soon as such space is available.
This amendment requires, instead, the
sentencing court
to
determine when
such an
offender is required to commence service of the
ir
sentence.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1317
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1302
By Johnson

SB1302
001497
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55
and Title 65, relative to transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-418, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
(h) A copy of the annual report required by subsection (e) must also be
submitted to the legislative librarian.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.