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SB1841 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 46, relative to places of burial.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Briggs, Wright
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 626
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or consequences for unauthorized removals.

Changes to Laws About Desecrating Burial Sites

This law changes how Tennessee defines desecration of burial sites by specifying that removing items from a burial place is considered desecration unless done by family members or authorized representatives.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new part to the existing law about criminal offenses, defining 'desecrate' as including removal of objects from a burial site by someone other than a family member or an authorized representative.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might remove items from burial sites
  • Family members of deceased individuals
  • Authorized representatives of cemeteries

Terms To Know

Desecrate
To damage, destroy, or remove objects from a burial site in an inappropriate manner.
Authorized representative
A person authorized by law to act on behalf of another, such as managing a cemetery.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if someone other than a family member or authorized person removes objects from a burial site.
  • It is unclear how the exemptions for archaeology division employees and others will be enforced.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1731

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection (c) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-17-311 that defines 'desecrate' to include removing objects from a place of burial by unauthorized persons.

  • Adds a definition for the term 'desecrate' in relation to places of burial, specifying that it includes removal of objects by people who are not family members of the deceased, cemetery staff, or other authorized individuals.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of objects can be removed by authorized persons.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing laws and practices regarding places of burial.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1841

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection (c) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-17-311 that defines what 'desecrate' means in relation to places of burial.

  • Adds a definition for the term 'desecrate' which includes removing objects from a place of burial by unauthorized persons.
  • The amendment does not specify all possible scenarios or consequences related to desecration, only defining who is authorized to remove objects from places of burial.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 626

  2. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  3. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 626

  4. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0561)

  13. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  14. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  16. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 3

  18. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0598)

  19. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  20. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/5/2026

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to Next Available Calendar

  27. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 2/18/2026

  28. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  32. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  34. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  35. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1731, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 excludes from the definition of those who desecrate a place of burial
an employee of the department of environment and conservation's division of archaeology in the ordinary course of the employee's duties
and
persons otherwise authorized by law to remove objects
from a place of burial.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1731
By Wright

SENATE BILL 1841
By Briggs
SB1841
009748
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 46, relative to places of burial.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-311, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(c) As used in this section, "desecrate" includes, but is not limited to, the removal
of objects from a place of burial by a person other than a family member of the deceased
or an authorized representative of the cemetery.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.