SB1602 • 2026

Sentencing

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10, relative to leaving the scene of an accident.

Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: Hatcher, Stevens
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about enforcement costs or consequences for those unaware of a death.

Tennessee Law on Leaving Accident Scenes

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to increase penalties for leaving the scene of an accident where someone dies.

What This Bill Does

Changes the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident where someone died from a Class E felony to a Class D felony if the person knew or should have known about the death.
Requires anyone who leaves the scene and knows or reasonably believes that someone died to serve at least one year in prison without parole, plus pay a fine between $5,000 and $10,000.
Applies these new rules starting July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

People who are involved in car accidents where someone dies and leave the scene without stopping or providing information if they knew or should have known about the death.
Law enforcement agencies that will enforce this law.

Terms To Know

Class D felony: A serious crime with a higher punishment than other types of felonies.
Parole: When someone who is in prison gets permission to leave early and serve the rest of their sentence outside under supervision.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much it will cost to enforce or what happens if someone leaves without knowing that a death occurred.
It's unclear how many people this law will affect in Tennessee.

Amendments

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

HA0994

Amendment 1-0 to HB1967

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to make it a felony with specific penalties if someone knows or should know they caused a death in an accident but does not stop or comply with the requirements of the law.

Changes Section 55-10-101(b)(2)(A) of the Tennessee Code Annotated to make it a Class E felony for anyone who fails to stop after causing a fatal accident, requiring at least one year in prison and a fine between $5,000 and $10,000.
Adds that this new law applies to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026.

The amendment text does not provide details about the current penalties for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, so it's unclear how these changes differ from existing laws.

SA0821

Amendment 1-0 to SB1602

Plain English: The amendment changes the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident where someone dies from a misdemeanor to a felony with specific minimum sentences.

Changes the offense of failing to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony.
Requires a sentence of at least one year imprisonment, without possibility of parole for that time, and a fine between $5,000 and $10,000.

The amendment text does not specify the exact circumstances under which someone 'should reasonably have known' about death resulting from an accident.
It is unclear how this change will be enforced or if it will lead to more convictions.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0821)
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/11/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1602, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that a person who is involved in a motor vehicle accident, fails
to stop or comply with
state law to provide information and render aid, and
knew or should reasonably have known that death resulted from the accident
, that, i
n addition to
a Class E felony offense, such
defendant
must
be punished by confinement for no less than one year, of which the defendant
must
serve 100%, and a fine of no less than $5,000

and no more than $10,000.

This amendment
applies to offenses committed on or after
July 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 1967
By Stevens

SENATE BILL 1602
By Hatcher
SB1602
010248
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10, relative to
leaving the scene of an accident.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-101(b)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class E felony.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-101(b)(2)(A), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(A) It is a Class D felony for any person to fail to stop or to comply with the
requirements of subsection (a) when the person knew or should reasonably have known
that death resulted from the accident.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.