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SB1717 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

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

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Hensley, Barrett
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide details on the enforcement mechanisms or penalties beyond classifying violations as Class A misdemeanors.

Law to Punish Violations of No Contact Orders for Domestic Abuse

This law makes it a crime to break no contact orders given as part of a sentence or probation after someone is found guilty of hurting a family member or partner.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new rule that says breaking a no contact order is against the law if the order was made because someone hurt their family member or partner and it is issued as part of a defendant's sentence, conditions of probation, or parole.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have been ordered not to contact someone because they hurt their family member or partner
  • Courts and law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Domestic abuse victim
A person who has been physically, sexually, emotionally, economically, or psychologically harmed by a family member or someone they are close to.
No contact order
An official court order that tells one person not to have any communication with another person.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the no contact order is violated before a sentence or probation.
  • It's unclear how this law will be enforced in practice.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/13/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  9. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  10. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2026

  12. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/8/2026

  13. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/7/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/1/2026

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  22. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  24. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  26. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  27. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  28. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  29. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1624
By Barrett

SENATE BILL 1717
By Hensley
SB1717
010602
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-113, is amended by deleting
subdivision (i)(1) and substituting:
(1) It is an offense to knowingly violate:
(A) A no contact order, issued prior to a defendant's release on bond,
following the defendant's arrest for any criminal offense defined in this chapter in
which the alleged victim of the offense is a domestic abuse victim as defined in §
36-3-601; or
(B) A no contact order issued as part of a defendant's sentence or
conditions of probation or parole following conviction for any criminal offense
defined in this chapter in which the alleged victim of the offense is a domestic
abuse victim as defined in § 36-3-601.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-113(i)(2), is amended by
deleting "arrested" and substituting "arrested or convicted".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.