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SB1637 • 2026

Garnishments and Executions

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 21, Part 9, relative to fees for services rendered.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Johnson, McCalmon
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Transmitted to Governor for action.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details on the current $40 fee for collecting money through various legal processes, only mentioning the requirement of advance payment for serving a garnishment.

Changing Fees for Garnishments

This bill changes the requirement that people who serve garnishments must be paid in advance before they perform their service.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the person serving a garnishment to demand payment of their fee before performing the service.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who serve garnishments

Terms To Know

garnishment
A court order that allows a part of someone's wages or money to be taken by another person or company to pay off a debt.
execution
A legal process where property is seized and sold to pay for a debt.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the fee is not paid in advance.
  • The bill does not change other types of fees or processes outside garnishments.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 1, PNV 10

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  8. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/30/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  13. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  17. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  18. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  21. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  24. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  25. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that the fee for collecting
money to satisfy a judgment, whether by execution, fieri facias, garnishment
,
or other process, in civil cases each time collection is attempted
is $40. For the purpose of the payment of such fee for garnishments, present law provides that all garnishments are
deemed to be original garnishments
,
and the sheriff or other person authorized by law to serve garnishments
is
entitled to the fee for each such garnishment served.

This bill authorizes the
sheriff or person authorized by law to serve garnishments
to
demand that the fee for performing service of the garnishment be paid in advance of such performance.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1798
By McCalmon

SENATE BILL 1637
By Johnson
SB1637
010409
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 21, Part 9, relative to fees for services
rendered.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-21-901(a)(2)(B)(ii), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(ii) For purposes of the payment of fees for garnishments as provided in this
subdivision (a)(2)(B), all garnishments are deemed to be original garnishments and the
sheriff or other person authorized by law to serve garnishments is entitled to the fee
provided for in this subdivision (a)(2)(B) for each such garnishment served. The sheriff
or other authorized person may demand that the fee for performing service of the
garnishment be paid in advance of such performance.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.