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SB1708 • 2026

Bail, Bail Bonds

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to bail.

Labor Parental Rights
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Taylor, Baum
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 941
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.

Bail, Bail Bonds

This bill prohibits an entity, however organized, from securing the release of a defendant unless specifically authorized under bail laws.

What This Bill Does

  • This bill prohibits an entity, however organized, from securing the release of a defendant unless specifically authorized under bail laws.
  • An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the defendant's legal guardian, the defen dant's employer, or a professional bondsman, seeking to secure the release of a defendant must be approved with regard to sufficiency of sureties for each bond the entity seeks to secure.
  • However, such an entity is prohibited from posting security for mo re than three defendants in any calendar year, or for a single defendant more than one time per calendar year.
  • As used above, "family" includes (i) any person related to such person within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity or (ii) any person living in the same household as such person.

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 HB1450

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1450 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1708 House Bill No.
  • 1450* HA0655 014298 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1450

Plain English: Amendment No.

  • Amendment No.
  • 2 to HB1450 Pearson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1708 House Bill No.
  • 1450* HA1242 018540 - 1 - by inserting the following new section immediately preceding the last section and renumbering the subsequent section accordingly: SECTION ____.
Amendment 3-0 to HB1450

Plain English: Amendment No.

  • Amendment No.
  • 3 to HB1450 Pearson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1708 House Bill No.
  • 1450* HA1243 018539 - 1 - by inserting the following new section immediately preceding the last section and renumbering the subsequent section accordingly: SECTION ____.
Amendment 4-0 to HB1450

Plain English: Amendment No.

  • Amendment No.
  • 4 to HB1450 Pearson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1708 House Bill No.
  • 1450* HA1244 018537 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 941

  2. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  3. 2026-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 941

  4. 2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-05-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 26, Nays 0, PNV 5

  12. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  13. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/23/2026

  14. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  15. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 16, PNV 4

  16. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0655)

  17. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026

  18. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026

  19. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026

  21. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for adopt by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  22. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026

  24. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  25. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to S. Cal Comm

  27. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  28. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

  29. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  30. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  31. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  32. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  33. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  35. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/11/2026

  36. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  37. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  38. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/4/2026

  39. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/2/2026

  40. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  41. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  43. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

  44. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  45. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  46. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  47. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  48. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  49. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  50. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  51. 2025-11-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill prohibits an entity, however organized, from securing the release of a defendant unless specifically authorized under bail laws. An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the defendant's legal guardian, the defen
dant's employer, or a professional bondsman, seeking to secure the release of a defendant must be approved with regard to sufficiency of sureties for each bond the entity seeks to secure. However, such an entity is prohibited from posting security for mo
re
than three defendants in any calendar year, or for a single defendant more than one time per calendar year.

As used above, "family" includes (i) any person related to such person within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity or (ii) any person living in the same household as such person.

EQUITY POWERS OF COURT

Present law authorizes any criminal court or general sessions court to conduct such hearings and enter such orders, injunctions, restraining orders, prohibitions, or issue any extraordinary process for the purpose of ensuring that any defendant does not
use any proceeds directly or indirectly derived from a criminal offense for the purpose of securing an appearance bond or to pay the premium for the bond.

Present law authorizes any court to require the defendant or bonding agent to prove in open court the source of such bond or premium before accepting the bond, and the burden of proof is upon the party seeking the approval or acceptance of the bond. Thi
s bill revises this provision to expand the persons required to provide such proof from "a defendant or bonding agent" to, instead, "a defendant or proposed surety".

ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1450, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
removes the prohibition on an entity from posting security for more than three defendants in a calendar year and, instead, prohibits an entity from posting security in an amount of more than $5,000 for each defendant per calendar year.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1450
By Baum

SENATE BILL 1708
By Taylor
SB1708
009770
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 40, relative to bail.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, Chapter 11, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Family," when used with reference to a person, includes:
(A) Any person related to such person within the third degree of
consanguinity or affinity; or
(B) Any person living in the same household as such person; and
(2) "Legal guardian" means a person having the legal authority to provide
for the care, supervision, and control of a minor child as established by law or
court order.
(b) An entity, however organized, shall not secure the release of a defendant
unless specifically authorized under this chapter.
(c) An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the
defendant's legal guardian, the defendant's employer, or a professional bondsman
authorized under § 40-11-124, seeking to secure the release of a defendant must be
approved in accordance with § 40-11-123 for each bond the entity seeks to secure.
(d) An entity, other than the defendant, a member of the defendant's family, the
defendant's legal guardian, the defendant's employer, or a professional bondsman
authorized under § 40-11-124, shall not post security for more than three (3) defendants
in any calendar year, or for a single defendant more than one (1) time per calendar year.

- 2 - 009770

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-11-715, is amended by deleting
"bonding agent" and substituting "proposed surety".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.